Missing March Madness? So are we at BadgerBlitz.com.
Without a NCAA Tournament this year, our staff decided to look at Badgers' top recruits from the Rivals.com era (2003 to 2021) and place them in a 64-team bracket. With the Final Four set, it's time for the Wisconsin fanbase to vote for its champion.
No. 3 Andrew Van Ginkel vs. No. 3 Melvin Gordon
Recruiting story: An Iowa native, Andrew Van Ginkel spent two years at South Dakota before landing in the junior college ranks in January of 2016. The former four-star prospect chose UW over offers from California, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Nebraska and Pittsburgh, among others.
"This place is just different. It’s unique," Van Ginkel told BadgerBlitz.com. "There’s no other place like it. It’s just way above everywhere else that I visited. From the atmosphere on game day to the city and the academics, just the people here have been so kind and friendly. They really help you out through everything."
Van Ginkel, who was drafted in the fifth round by the Miami Dolphins in 2019, finished his Wisconsin career with 27 games played (10 starts), recording 99 tackles - with 19.5 TFLs and 12.0 sacks.
Road to the Final Four/Who he defeated: Bradrick Shaw, Hayden Rucci, Jack Coan, Josh Oglesby
Recruiting story: Melvin Gordon will go down as one of the most accomplished players in the program's history. Luckily for Wisconsin, the staff flipped his commitment from Iowa in December of 2010.
"That's where I'm leaning to right now," Gordon told BadgerBlitz.com in November of 2010, just days before his commitment. "Syracuse called and offered me, but I'm leaning towards Wisconsin because I want to stay closer to home.
"Wisconsin is the school I'm looking at."
Gordon's redshirt junior season was historic; he was the Doak Walker Award winner, Heisman Trophy runner-up and an unanimous consensus first-team All-American. That season, Gordon rushed for 2,587 yards, a Big Ten record and the second-most in FBS history at the time, and led nation in rushing at 184.8 yards per game. He recently agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal with the Denver Broncos.
Road to the Final Four/Who he defeated: Jaden Gault, Vonte Jackson, Graham Mertz, Logan Brown
No. 16 James White vs. No. 9 Jonathan Taylor
Recruiting story: James White was a highly-recruited running back out of St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida, and the Badgers ultimately beat out Clemson, North Carolina State and Michigan State for his services.
"I committed to Wisconsin today," White told BadgerBlitz.com in January of 2010. "I just called Coach (Bret) Bielema and told him I wanted to be a Badger. He wasn't really in shock because he kind of figured I was leaning that way, but he was really excited.
"It's a family-like atmosphere up there and I really liked that about Wisconsin. All the players treated me like I was already on the team when I took my official visit. It also helps that I have two teammates already on the team (Dezmen Southward and Conor O'Neill). It seems like the right place to be and it's a program on the turn around."
White played right away at Wisconsin behind John Clay and Montee Ball and into a starter's role as a senior. It was that season in which White earned consensus second-team All-Big Ten honors. In the NFL, White has enjoyed a successful career with the New England Patriots.
Road to the Final Four/Who he defeated: John Clay, Jack Nelson, Jack Sanborn, Corey Clement
Recruiting story: The former four-star prospect had been committed to Rutgers, but he flipped his pledge to Wisconsin after he took an official visit to Madison for the Badgers’ game against Ohio State. Ranked No. 208 nationally in the 2017 class, Taylor was ranked No. 13 at his position in a group led by Alabama’s Najee Harris, Florida State’s Cam Akers and Georgia’s D’Andre Swift.
"It was really a combination of what Wisconsin does on and off the field," Taylor told BadgerBlitz.com. "Academics at Wisconsin are great and they are a top-20 school in the country. Being in that top bracket, that really separates them from schools that have great football but aren’t ranked as high, academically.
"Everyone knows that football ends and you need to fall back on something, so that degree from Wisconsin is going to carry a lot of significance."
Finishing the season with 94 yards on 21 carries in Wisconsin’s Rose Bowl loss to Oregon, Taylor finished his junior campaign with 2,003 yards, becoming only the third tailback to have multiple 2,000-yard seasons. His career rushing total of 6,174 yards ranks second all-time in the Big Ten, trailing former Wisconsin Badgers back Ron Dayne by 951 yards.
'“He's everything that you would want to be in a teammate,” Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said following the Rose Bowl. “I've loved seeing his progression as a leader on this team, and unbelievable care for his teammates. That's where it starts. And unbelievable example of how you approach every day.
“It's impressive what he's done on the field, and it's incredibly impressive who he is and how he's done it, is more impressive to me.”
Road to the Final Four/Who he defeated: Kyle Penniston, Travis Beckum, Danny Davis, Nick Toon
CRITERIA
*Recruits in the 64-prospect field either signed or are committed to Wisconsin.
*Seeding was based exclusively on each prospect's final (or current) Rivals.com Ranking (R.R.).
*Because there were too many 5.7 (three-star prospects) to choose from, the BadgerBlitz.com staff picked the final seven seeds.
*A prospect's contribution (or lack thereof) at Wisconsin was not taken into consideration.
*Voting is based on... whatever you, the Wisconsin fans, want. Most entertaining recruitment? Best recruiting story? Most heavily recruited prospect? Go ahead and vote however you would like.
***How to vote: Visit the BadgerBlitz.com Twitter page to place your vote***
