Better Know a Badger: Chase Wolf

Wisconsin's 2018 signing class will be joining the team full-time in June, so BadgerBlitz.com will be checking in with the team's incoming freshmen as they make the jump from being high school prospects to a Wisconsin student-athlete.

Chase Wolf, a three-star quarterback from Cincinnati, Ohio, spoke with BadgerBlitz.com about how he's feeling now that his career with the Badgers is right around the corner. Our questions and his answers are included below.

How have you been feeling since you sent in your national letter of intent and made your commitment official? Did wrapping things up take a burden off of your shoulders?

Chase Wolf: Yeah, definitely. Once I signed my letter of intent I knew it was go time. I got the workouts from Coach (Ross) Kolodziej and I’ve been working on those for the past 10 weeks or so – doing them every day just to get ready for June.

I know it's been a while since you committed, but what was it about the Badgers that put them over the top in the end? What made UW the right place for you?

Chase Wolf: I’d say the family atmosphere that they provided. I really liked the people there. The campus was amazing, and the coaching staff really welcomed me. Not to mention that they’re a top ten school for football in the country, which is a big plus as well. And they’re really good academically. It had all of the tools that I wanted.

Did anyone try and recruit you much after your commitment? Or did teams kind of back off once you made it clear to them that UW was where you wanted to go?

Chase Wolf: It was quiet for the most part. Ohio State contacted me, but I told them that I was committed. I had all of my offers before I made my decision and that’s all that matters. I committed and it just got quiet, which I was happy with.

Do you remember when you realized that playing Division 1 football was a realistic option for your? Or did it kind of just dawn on you when teams started to offer you scholarships?

Chase Wolf: I’d say it was when I got my first offer. But when I started going to camps I thought I was better than the other quarterbacks that were there – and some of them already had offers and stuff. I thought then that I could play at the Division 1 level. And also my coaches told me that I could play there if I worked hard, so the camp circuit really got me started – and then playing against top-tier was a good test for me as well.

Do you have any favorite memories from your high school football career? Something that you'll remember even after you're done with your college career?

Chase Wolf: I think our playoff run during our junior year is something that will really stand out to me for a while. To win the state championship with three games going to overtime, it was tough but it was well worth it.

I feel like I can guess your answer, but are there any players in the NFL or at the college level that you love to watch right now? Anyone you try to learn something from?

Chase Wolf: I think Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, of course, are the top examples of the best quarterbacks in the game right now. But I think that for the way I play … Baker Mayfield is extremely fun to watch. He’s kind of got the same style as I do – it’s been nice to watch him for a while and to learn some stuff.

Have you picked out any classes for your summer term at UW, or do you have an idea of what you're interested in for a major yet?

Chase Wolf: We’re taking two classes this summer, but I’m trying to get in to the business school next year. I don’t really know what path exactly that’s going to lead me to or any specifics, though.

What are you looking forward to the most about getting on campus with the team?

Chase Wolf: I’d just say being around the team. It’s one thing to watch them on TV, but it’s another thing entirely to be their teammates.

What was that like, to watch the team as they made their run last year and know that in a year you would be part of that group?

Chase Wolf: It was really cool. It was kind of surreal watching the team and thinking ‘I’m going to be a part of a team that’s in the top four in the nation.’ It was really cool too to watch them beat Miami in the Orange Bowl. It was unbelievable, to say the least.

Do you have any personal goals for yourself for 2018?

Chase Wolf: I definitely want the get faster and stronger. But then every single day I’m going to work to get the starting job. That’s a little far-fetched for right now, but I’m going to try and make some noise during camp and during the season to prepare myself for the future.

Finally, is there anything you learned about the recruiting process that you wish you had known at the start? Or if you know anyone who is going to be recruited, what advice would you give them?

Chase Wolf: I would tell them that if you’re not interested in a school to just tell the coaches. That really helps them out and it helps you out because you don’t have to make as many calls every night. Tell them so that you’re not leading on and that they can move on to the next player. And then ask colleges that you’re interested in where you stand on their depth chart.

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John Veldhuis covers Wisconsin football, basketball and recruiting for BadgerBlitz.com on the Rivals.com network. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnVeldhuis.