Bradford back makes a return trip to Madison

The lone 2012 in-state prospect with an offer from the Wisconsin coaching staff, Kenosha Bradford running back Vonte Jackson made a return trip to Madison on Friday, just a few weeks after participating in UW's first camp of the summer.

"He (Bret Bielema) mainly just wanted to show me and my parents around campus," Jackson told BadgerBlitz.com Friday evening. "We talked about football and the whole recruiting process. He also answered a lot of the questions my parents and I had.

"Coach Bielema wants me to take my time on my decision; that was really his main point during the visit. He was telling me that by the end of my junior year, I was probably going to receive more than 10 offers just because of my athletic ability and my grades. He said Stanford, Northwestern and Notre Dame would likely be coming after me."

Jackson's academic accolades are just as impressive as his work on the football field. Boasting a 3.9 GPA, the junior-to-be plans on entering the field of science when he arrives on a college campus.

"Wisconsin is the top school in the nation for the science classes that they offer, and that happens to be the field I'd like to pursue; that's what I want to go in to," said Jackson, who is a prep teammate of Melvin Gordon and Trae Waynes, both of whom have offers from the Badgers. "I actually talked to a professor from the pharmacy school there and he talked me through the whole profession and what classes might look like."

Added Bradford head coach Jed Kennedy: "He's one of the most unbelievable kids I have ever been around. I think he's ranked 15th in his class out of 500 kids. He's very humble and very quiet; one of the hardest workers that I've been around. A great leader whos best days are ahead of him still."

A versatile prospect at 6-feet and 175 pounds, Jackson could play on both sides of the ball, though he will likely remain a tailback at the next level.

"Their defensive backs (Chris Ash) coach really likes me," Jackson said. "I spent the first part of the day with Coach Bielema, but then for the rest of my visit, I was with my running backs coach, Coach (John) Settle. Him and I spent the rest of the day together just talking about football and the running back position. We watched some film together and he was just pointing out areas where he thought I could help the team out.

"I really do like Wisconsin based on the interest they are showing. They are the first school to show this extended interest and they are also my in-state school, so that means a lot to me."

With two full years of high school football still ahead of him, Jackson is nowhere near a final decision.

"It's too early to even talk about that," he said. "We'll see how my junior season plays out and maybe even my senior season."

Jackson leads a talented 2012 in-state running back class, a group that also includes Toneo Gulley, Leo Musso, Marcus Horne and Adam Vesterfelt.