Commitment 101: Chase Wolf

The Wisconsin Badgers added three-star quarterback Chase Wolf to their 2018 recruiting class Friday and filled the second opening at the position in this cycle. Here's what Wolf's commitment means for head coach Paul Chryst moving forward.

At 6-foot-2 and 193 pounds, Wolf used his athleticism in St. Xavier's (OH) spread attack as a junior. That said, he's more of a pro-style quarterback, according to Bobbie Klotz, the offensive coordinator at his high school.

“When I was talking to college coaches, they loved that Chase was extremely accurate with a quick release and great spiral," Klotz told BadgerBlitz.com. "They also liked that he played well in pressure situations and is willing to stay in the pocket to make a good throw without being worried about taking a hit.

“Even though we were running spread, I think Chase is a pro-style guy. He had to adapt to being a spread guy. He’s a good enough athlete to work in the spread, but I think he’s a great pocket passer and good ball handler, so I think that part will be an easy transition for him. Wisconsin is definitely a pro-style offense, but they also liked that athletic side of Chase. Right now we're working real hard on mechanics and footwork because you can always improve there. He works really hard on his own and is throwing all the time with other people in the offseason.”

As a junior, Wolf passed for over 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns behind Penn State signee Sean Clifford. The three-star prospect was also a big reason why the Bombers captured a state title last fall.

“We made a decision at the start of the year to go to a total spread and in that offense, you need two quarterbacks because someone is probably going to get dinged up," Klotz said. "Sure enough, Sean got hurt in the last scrimmage and tried to play through it, but in Week 2 against Colerain, we threw Chase into the fire. We lost that game, but he did very well against a perennial national power.

“When Sean was ready again, him and Chase kind of played back and forth. I think Chase started eight of our 15 games, so he had quite a bit of experience. From Week 7 through our first playoff game, Chase started every game, threw 150 balls and completed 97 passes. And then they both played a big role in helping us win a state title."

On film, Wolf looks like the better athlete in comparison to Ben Byrant, who likely has the stronger arm. While Bryant, who is also committed to UW in the current class, is very much a pocket passer, Wolf can extend plays with his feet and throw on the run. The two should compliment each other well; neither is afraid of competition and both were well aware of Wisconsin's intention to take two quarterbacks in this cycle.