Alabama has traditionally been a state Wisconsin has flown over in pursuit of athletes from Florida. The Badgers currently have six players from the Sunshine State on their current roster.
But in the 2024 recruiting class, first-year position coach Paul Haynes identified Jay Harper this spring and quickly got the three-star prospect on campus for an official visit earlier this month. That trip produced a commitment, news Harper made public on Monday evening.
"I think Jay did a nice job of getting his name out there, and getting to camps allowed coaches to see him," Adam Hunter, head coach at Valley High School, told BadgerBlitz.com. "He's a great athlete and I think a lot of coaches started to notice that this spring. Wisconsin's staff came down and met with Jay. He took the official and really enjoyed it.
"We've got a lot of athletes down south and I think schools are branching out and trying to pull those kids up north. So I think it's a great thing that he got out there and was seen by a big school up north like Wisconsin. His work ethic and getting out to camps helped get his name out there."