Commitment 101: Middle linebackers Jordan Turner and Malik Reed

The Wisconsin Badgers added three-star middle linebackers Jordan Turner and Malik Reed to their 2020 recruiting class Monday. Here's what their respective commitments mean for head coach Paul Chryst moving forward.

At 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, Turner, who had close to 40 offers, was recruited by a handful of schools to play on the edge at the next level. But the Badgers project the three-star prospect to start on the inside, and his physical nature should suit that position well.

"I think Jordan is the full package and that's why he had 40 offers or so," Farmington (MI) head coach Kory Cioroch told BadgerBlitz.com. "He's a 4.0 student, a three-year captain and a coach's son. He has an incredible football IQ and it doesn't hurt that he's 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds. I think he checks a lot of boxes - mentally and physically - and Wisconsin loves to recruit high-character kids. That's exactly who Jordan is.

"He's just an athlete. He's a big kid who can play tackle to tackle, but he can also come off the edge. He can run sideline to sideline and in that defense, he's a guy who can anchor things for you. He can make calls, audible - just a smart kid."

On film, Turner's first highlight comes on special teams, which shows his ability to help in that facet of the game. As the film progresses, Turner is able to diagnose plays, take proper pursuit angles and stop the run with violence and force. It will be interesting to see how his body develops and what weight he plays at with the Badgers. With his unique skill-set, defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard can get creative with Turner on the field and move him around a bit. It wouldn't be surprising to see him play on the edge in third-down packages.

Reed, 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, is pegged to play the "will" or weak-side inside linebacker spot for the Badgers. A lot of his junior tape shows the three-star prospect working on the edge as an outside linebacker or defensive end. But there are also a few snaps where he shows success at his future position, which will be in the middle of UW's defense.

On film, Reed, who had He 42 tackles and 8.5 sacks last fall, looks more stout and compact, solidifying his projection to the inside. He goes north and south well and has great explosion at the point of contact. Reed also tracks plays and finishes tackles with precision.

"He's a really strong kid. In our off-season, he repped 285 pounds 13 times," Rick Garretson, Reed's head coach at Chandler High School, told BadgerBlitz.com. "He has tremendous speed and a natural nose for the football. He did a good job in the summer in the 7-on-7 stuff in pass coverage. He'll have to do that more at the college level. He's got a motor and a nose for the ball, and he also has a knack for blitzing and timing his blitzes."

Though both have some similarities - physical athletes who play downhill - Turner looks like the better athlete on tape. But Reed, who has long arms with a great motor, is certainly someone with a high ceiling once he gets more reps inside. Wisconsin has to love how their middle linebacker class looks in 2020.