Countdown to Kickoff: Ranking the 2020 in-state class (6-10)

With high school football set to begin in Wisconsin in less than one month, BadgerBlitz.com ranked the top 50 in-state prospects from a very strong 2020 class.

Rankings are based on film, in-person evaluations and feedback from coaches and players. Five athletes will be released each day until the conclusion of the series.

RELATED: 46 to 50 | 41 to 45 | 36 to 40 | 31-35 | 26-30 | 21-25 | 16-20 | 11-15

Committed to: Iowa

Related: Michael Lois follows his heart to Iowa | Michael Lois returns to Kinnick Stadium | Michael Lois continues amazing recovery |

The word: Michael Lois seemed locked on Iowa from the very start of his recruitment. And not surprisingly, the three-star prospect committed to the Hawkeyes in September of 2018. Just a few days later, though, Lois suffered a serious spinal injury that left him with three broken vertebrae. His future in football is still up in the air, but Lois continues to make great strides in his recovery.

“The Iowa coaches have been awesome,” Lois told HawkeyeReport.com in May. “I think if I would have chosen any other school I would have just been a number and they would have thrown me to the curb and said I’m done. But Iowa has always believed in me. They’ve called and sent texts and letters and it’s always been very positive. They told me not to worry and that everything’s good on their end, just keep getting better.

“I’m still going to be a Hawkeye. I still have the scholarship whether I can play or not.”

Committed to: Minnesota

Related: 2020 OLB Lucas Finnessy's recruitment just getting started | Finnessy gives an update |

The word: Lucas Finnessy, an all-state selection as a junior, played cornerback last fall but projects to outside linebacker at the next level. In early April, the three-star prospect chose Minnesota over offers from Ball State, Illinois State, Miami (OH), North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, South Dakota and Western Michigan.

“Minnesota took a chance on me," Finnessy told Rivals.com. "I’m going to convert my family to Minnesota fans. A couple people at school gave me a hard time about it, but most understand. If Wisconsin offered, I’d still be a Gopher. They were there first.

“(Minnesota’s) campus was by far the best I visited. The coaches made us feel like home. I liked all the facilities. There’s lots to do in the city, and it’s a really nice city. They had great dorms, too. The education is good and it’s a great city for business.”

Committed to: Purdue

Related: Recruiting off to a fast start for 2020 in-state LB Ben Kreul | Purdue's first 2020 commitment, Ben Kreul jumped at its offer |

The word: As a junior, Ben Kreul racked up 145 tackles, two sacks and two interceptions for the WIAA Division 3 state champs. And on the recruiting front, the three-star prospect wasted little time making his decision. In late January, Kreul committed to Purdue over offers from Iowa State and Nebraska.

"Playing in the Big Ten has been a dream of mine since I was young, so it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up on," Kreul told Rivals.com. "And Purdue's headed in the right direction. The coaching staff is doing a great job and things are only going to get better for them."

Committed to: Wisconsin

Related: Coach: 2020 OL Tanor Bortolini is "just starting his upswing" | Commitment 101: Tanor Bortolini | In-state OL Tanor Bortolini hops on Wisconsin offer |

The word: Tanor Bortolini, the offensive and defensive lineman of the year in the Packerland Conference as a junior, saw his recruitment heat up in May. The two-star prospect picked up offers from Wisconsin, Iowa and Miami in a short amount of time and eventually jumped on the chance to play for the Badgers.

"Tanor has really busted his tail this off-season by getting stronger and quicker," Kewaunee High School head coach Randy Charles told BadgerBlitz.com. "I think he's put on 25 pounds since the end of the football season and it's all muscle. He works hard in the weight room and he concentrates on his nutrition, and that all shows with where he's at right now.

"I think schools saw that part of it and they know that he's just starting his upswing. He still has a lot of room to grow, and I think school likes Wisconsin, Iowa and Miami saw that just recently. It's was exciting for him to see that work pay off."

Committed to: Wisconsin

Related: Camp offer leads to quick commitment for Cade McDonald | Coach: Cade McDonald's "upside is huge and there is a lot of ceiling left" | Commitment 101: Cade McDonald |

The word: The star of Wisconsin's first summer in camp June, Hudson defensive end Cade McDonald earned an offer from Wisconsin after his performance and committed to the Badgers just days later. Illinois State, North Dakota and South Dakota also extended scholarships during the course of his recruitment.

"One part of Cade receiving this attention right now is the development of his body, and another part is that he's a humble kid," Neil Hatfield, Hudson's defensive coordinator, told BadgerBlitz.com. "He's not going to blow up social media with the stuff he's accomplished or anything like that. He's lets his actions speak. When he gets in front of people, he is really a kind and gentle person. So it may take a while for people to see his drive and competitive nature, which is extremely high. He has a very high motor and there's definitely a sense of urgency with him to get better. His ability to pay attention to what mattered most - school, being a good teammate - maybe kept him off the radar.

"His best football is ahead of him. The things you can measure at a camp, he did all that. But I think they started to see things that you can't really measure. With Cade, his work ethic is off the charts. He's a meticulous person and it's scary to how similar he is to (former Hudson offensive linemen) Eric Vanden Heuvel and Kraig Urbik, who both played for the Badgers. All of them are 6-foot-6 and bigger and all of them were good students with great work ethics."