Wisconsin's 2020 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.
Max Lofy, a three-star defensive back from Pine Creek High School in Colorado Springs, Co., was the 12th commit for the Badgers in the cycle, making his decision in July 2019. He 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.
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OL Trey Wedig / OL Ben Barten / OL Tanor Bortolini / ILB Malik Reed / TE Cam Large
What was it like for you to officially wrap up your recruitment and send in your letter of intent in December?
Lofy: It’s definitely calmed down. Once you make a decision in your mind of where you want to go, it’s kind of waiting to send your letter in. Once you make that decision personally, things seem to calm down.
Did schools respect your decision, or did they continue to recruit you?
Lofy: Before I signed, I had some other schools kind of talking to me. There were some aggressive (conversations) and some were just coaches hitting me up, asking for information.
Did you enjoy being recruited, or was it something you had to get used to before you could get comfortable with the process?
Lofy: I’d say I enjoyed in for the most part. Like anything, there are going to be positives and negatives. You have to go into it with the mindset that you know what you are looking for and see past some of the games, glitz and glamour that come along with it. If you know what you are looking for, it can be helpful and enjoyable making a decision.
You took officials to Minnesota, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin. What helped Wisconsin stand out that you canceled your last official (to Arizona State)? What was it that made you want to play for the Badgers?
Lofy: It was a combination of the relationships I’d build with the coaches there and the town of Madison itself. The people there are super nice and they just as good of a job recruiting you to come play football for the Badgers as any of the coaches do. Sitting down with the coaches and Jim Leonhard, we sat down and talked football and I could just tell he was a person who knew what he was talking about. I just wanted the opportunity to learn from him.
What do you think about being the only defensive back in the class? Is it humbling to be viewed that way by the staff?
Lofy: It’s a great feeling to be wanted like that. I just think of it as an opportunity. Whether there’d be six people coming in with me or just me alone like it is, I just think of it the same way.
What are you trying to do to stay active during quarantine? Have you been able to maintain your strength with your routine?
Lofy: My friend has got an in-home gym that we go to every once in a while. We’ll try to find some open fields and do some DB stuff. We have a group of DBs in the spring that get together in the spring and do 2-on-2s or 2-on-3s, just trying to find your rhythm instead of staying home all day, staying on your feet and play as many sports as you can, get up and move as much as you can.
What do you think you'll take away from playing high school football? Is there a game you'll remember or a lesson you learned that will stick with you?
Lofy: A lesson I learned from high school probably, and this is to speak to my coaches at Pine Creek High School where I played, was probably to complain as least as possible and work as hard as possible. Because once you stop complaining, problems become smaller, and once you start working hard, those problems seem to fade away. If you get a good combination of the two, you become pretty successful.
In a year from now, what would you like to look back on and say you accomplished during your first year with the team? Do you have any goals like that?
Lofy: Of course, it’s to get on the field and play. That’s anybody’s dream coming into any college, but I just really want to learn the position of, not just cornerback, but of nickel and safety and all that. Just to learn how an elite defense kind of works. We have great players and coaches, and I want to get in there and see what it looks like to be an elite defensive player.
