Commitment 101: Jaylan Franklin

The Wisconsin Badgers added three-star tight end Jaylan Franklin to their 2018 recruiting class Monday and filled what is likely the final opening at the position in this cycle. Here's what Franklin's commitment means for head coach Paul Chryst moving forward.

At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Jaylan Franklin is one of the most versatile athletes in the Midwest. As a junior, the three-star prospect threw for 779 yards and rushed for 568 yards on offense, and recorded 89 tackles and nine sacks on defense. He was recruited primarily as an outside linebacker but many schools, but Wisconsin likes him as a tight end.

"I think Jaylan can play a lot of positions on offense and a lot of positions on defense," Jack Giarmo, first-year head coach at Carlson (MI) High School, told BadgerBlitz.com. "We're going to use him as a quarterback and outside linebacker, but he's one of those kids who will do whatever you ask of him. He just wants to make the team better."

Friday, Franklin caught passes from UW quarterback commit Chase Wolf under the guidance of future position coach Mickey Turner. He route running needed work but his speed and explosiveness were evident.

"I felt very comfortable at tight end and I love catching the ball," Franklin told BadgerBlitz.com. "I feel I have a huge advantage being tall and previously playing wide receiver. I will have a speed boost on some of the slower linebackers."

Franklin will almost certainly be used as a pass-catching H-back when he arrives on campus.