MADISON, Wis. – It turned out that Luke Fickell had no reason to worry.
The University of Wisconsin head coach was hopeful that the results on the field wouldn’t cause members of his highly ranked third recruiting class to start rethinking their commitment or, worse yet, reopen their decision-making process entirely.
From the time the Badgers’ 2024 season ended without a bowl game for the first time in 23 years to the first day of the early signing period, Wisconsin's staff only saw one prospect de-commit. Twenty-three kids signed paperwork to join Fickell’s program, a class that ranks 20th in the Rivals.com rankings with 10 four-star recruits from eight different states.
“To see guys not waver,” Fickell said. “That faith and belief that the games and what you see on Saturday isn’t everything. For those guys to hold with us and believe in us … relationships, trust, and belief in this process still win out.”
Adding to the defensive line depth, we look at the signing of Massillon (OH) Washington Nolan Davenport and how his addition improves the program.
Stats
A two-year starter at offensive tackle, plus a sophomore season starting at tight end, Davenport anchored a line that helped his team rush for 163.5 yards per game at 6.3 yards per attempt, while scoring 34 rushing touchdowns. In the passing game, the line surrendered just 13 quarterback sacks in 14 games. He was named first-team All-Ohio and first-team All-District for a team that advanced to the regional finals.
In 2023 he was named second-team All-Ohio as Massillon won the Ohio Division II State Championship.
“I think the big strides I made, especially around the end of the year I probably started to put my pass protection technique together,” Davenport said. “I finally started to trust it a little bit more. Senior year went pretty good. It obviously didn’t end how I wanted it to with winning the state champion, but I am excited for the next chapter.”
Recruiting Competition
The 10th commitment in Wisconsin’s 2025 class, Davenport had close to 30 scholarship offers and committed to the Badgers over a top list that included Michigan State, Missouri, Ole Miss, and Penn State. He had other Power-Four offers from Boston College, Cincinnati, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, N.C. State, Northwestern, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia.
“Some schools continued to talk to me, and I was offered by Michigan after committing,” Davenport said. “It was pretty easy to say no.”
