Most of Wisconsin's 2021 class -- both for the football and men's basketball programs -- will be heading to Madison shortly, though Paul Chryst's team already welcomed seven players as mid-year enrollees in January.
BadgerBlitz.com has kicked off its annual "Better Know a Badger" series, where we check in with the incoming freshmen as they begin the transition from being prep standouts to college athletes. In 2021, we include some transfers as well.
Miss some? Check out the links below: Basketball: C Chris Vogt | Football: QB Deacon Hill | CB Ricardo Hallman |
Skyler Bell became Wisconsin's first wide receiver commit for the 2021 class when he orally committed to the Badgers in August 2020. The Watertown (CT) Taft School product received offers from such Power Five programs as Georgia Tech, Iowa, Northwestern, Rutgers, Virginia, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. He officially signed with UW during the early signing period in December.
Bell spoke with BadgerBlitz.com on May 13 about a variety of topics as the days tick down before his arrival at Wisconsin. Questions and his answers have been edited for clarity.
I remember talking with you last summer when you said, I believe, your senior year was canceled, right?Â
SB: Yup.
How was that this last year for you without having a senior year necessarily in terms of a season, but what areas do you feel that you've developed further, not just during what should be your senior year, but in the past year in general?
SB: I would say the biggest thing for me was my strength and my route running. I feel like over this, I'll consider just a very, very long offseason for me, I've worked on my explosiveness, my strength, and then route-running wise, I just feel like more polished. I feel like I'm getting out of my break cleaner. I feel like I'm dropping my hips better. I feel like I'm really becoming a better all-around receiver.
During your your prep career, who's been the best player that you've gone against to this day?
SB: I would say for DBs, it's definitely my roommate, or he's not my roommate right now because he's online, but my old roommate, he's going to Navy next year, Jacob Rooks. He's definitely the best DB I've faced in New England.
And then in terms of just players, I would say my sophomore year, at Taft, my first year here, we played against Salisbury, and they had a running back who was legit. He was making dudes look crazy on the field, I can't even lie to you. It was almost putting up video game numbers almost.
I saw some tweets about your track season for you. Just how many sports have you participated in during high school, and how have they helped you in the game of football?
SB: So high school, I only did three. Actually, that's a lie -- I did four. I stopped playing lacrosse after my freshman year, but I used to play lacrosse. But mostly it was just football, basketball and track. I would say basketball helps a lot with my lateral movement and my explosiveness jumping. Like going up to dunk or get a rebound or lay up and things like that. And then while track is obviously just my speed. Like I feel like this spring, I'm just so much more light. I'm so much more explosive. I feel fast. Like I feel like it was a good idea for me to run track this last year going into my first year at UW.
I know you signed in December during the early signing period, but which schools if any, tried to keep in contact or tried to recruit you still until you signed your National Letter of Intent?
SB: Yeah, there were a few. I don't know if a couple want me to name it, but I'll say the ones that I know made it clear. Rutgers for sure was always on my back. They made sure that they knew that I knew that I had a home there. Iowa would hit me up every now and then. Notre Dame and then Virginia Tech as well.
Kind of flipping to Wisconsin. How often have you been in contact with the Badger staff with your arrival on campus coming soon, and who are you talking with the most?
SB: Obviously, Coach [Alvis] Whitted's my position coach, and I talk to him probably most often. But I have been talking to Coach 'Rudy' [associate head coach Joe Rudolph] recently a lot because I've been seeing a couple o-line kids at these track meets that I thought he should look at.
But other than that, I talk to Coach Whitted probably twice a week. Me, him and Markus, we contact a lot. Just he checks up on us, making sure we're good, always working out. He sends us videos, and sometimes we'll hop on a Zoom and we'll go over plays and where he sees us and how we can help the team win some games this fall.
How has your relationship with Coach Whitted developed over time?
SB: It's gotten really close. I actually haven't met him, and I could feel the bond already. I feel like he's a great coach. He knows what he's talking about, and I think we can do some real damage together in the big time. I think he knows what to do. He knows how to coach. He knows how to teach and you know, I think he's the perfect receiver coach for me.
Have they discussed further how they would like to use you within the Wisconsin offense?
SB: I've talked to Coach Whitted a little bit. He told me that he sees me at X [wide receiver position] to start, and just using my strength. So getting the ball out in space, making people miss. I think I can also make plays down the field even though I'm not, you know, your 6-foot-4, 6-foot-5 wide receiver. I could go up and make a play and make a contested catch, and then at the same time, I could take the top off a defense with my speed. They said I should be on the outside. Hopefully I can do some damage out there.
You had about six of your class of 2021 signees, your future teammates make their way to Madison early in January, and they participated in spring ball. Have you had a chance to chat with those midyear enrollees and just what their first semester was like?
SB: Yeah, I've talked to a couple of them, mostly Al [Ashford] and T.J. [Bollers], for the most part. They loved it. You know, I was a little jealous that I couldn't get up there. My school didn't let me, but they love it. You know, they say it's a lot of hard work, but you got to love the grind to be great. So they can't wait for us to be there, and I can't wait to meet them because I haven't even met the guys yet so I'm excited for that, and I can't wait to get to work with them.
Besides the midyear guys, have you talked with any of your other future teammates, either at your position group or others that are that have been there for a while, and what are they saying about what's ahead at Wisconsin?
SB: In terms of people on the team now, the only person I really had contact with was Chimere [Dike] when he was trying to recruit me to Wisconsin, but now, I talk to a lot of the kids in my class. Markus [Allen], I talk to Markus a bunch. I talk to Darryl [Peterson] a lot, Jack Pugh, T.J. like I mentioned and Al. So those are the guys I probably talked to probably the most these past couple of weeks, just talking about how we're all excited to get there and how we can't wait to get to work and hopefully bring some natties back to Madtown.
Speaking of that, what is the official moving date for you, and who are you rooming with from the class of 2021, if any of the players?
SB: So I'll be I'll be rooming with Markus Allen. And I believe our actual move-in day is June 10.
You already talked about it a little bit, so this may be a redundant question, but what do you feel you can bring to Wisconsin's offense and that wide receiver room?
SB: I feel like I just bring a different type of receiver. I bring -- not that those dudes in that room aren't dogs, because I know they are -- but I just play with a little bit of a huge chip on my shoulder. Because I've been told that I can't and I couldn't play receiver at this level, and so I just want to prove people wrong. I want to prove to schools that I was reaching out to, and they weren't even giving me the time of day because they didn't think I could play. I want to prove those people wrong so I think I can bring that extra chip on your shoulder. And to the offense, I think I bring an explosive, dynamic, playmaking receiver.
Who have been your major influences to get to where you're at now?
SB: For me, it will probably have to be my oldest brother -- not my oldest brother, but my brother who is older than me. Right in the middle. He's my biggest supporter, my best friend. Talk to him every day. He pushes me. He sends me his videos of him working out at 4:30 in the morning, and you know, that makes me want to grind at six when I wake up. So things like that, that he just keeps me motivated, and he's always checking up on me, making sure I'm good. Like I said, he's just as excited for me to get out to Madison as I am, so he's a big supporter for me.
What are some areas that you see yourself improving on once you do get up to Madison, for Wisconsin?
SB: I see myself improving my size. I think I can put on a few pounds, maybe into 200-plus range if that's where they want me at. And just also being a better receiver on the go because I've only been playing the position for a couple years so there's still things I'm learning, and I can't wait to just get there and get the details down so that I can take my game to the next level.
What are your goals for your freshman year then?
SB: For me, I like to set the bar high. Like I want to make an impact. I want to have a few touchdowns. I want to have at least 15-plus catches. I want to have enough yards to where I'm looked at as a threat by the opposing team. Like I said, I want to help us win games and win that national title that we're all talking about.
One more question for you, a follow up for that. How are they talking about expectations for you in terms of when you're able to contribute? Do they feel that you can step in during fall camp and learn it right away, or what are their expectations for you in terms of getting on the field as a freshman?
SB: So I've talked to Coach Whitted about that a few times, and he said he's going to play who he thinks is going to make plays. So he said to me and Markus, if you guys come in, and you guys make plays, I can't not play you. We're gonna play the best two that we think can help us win, and if you guys come in here, learn the playbook, execute, play fast, play hard, you guys will get on the field. So I took that and I'm running with it. So I'm looking to come in and help make an impact wherever I can.
