12/6/2022 football Edit

Four-star RB Jaquez Keyes decommits from Wisconsin

Jon McNamara • BadgerBlitz

Editor

Jon McNamara is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has covered UW athletics since 2002 and has worked at Rivals.com since 2006.

Jaquez Keyes, a four-star running back from Ironton High School in Ohio, announced his decision to decommit from Wisconsin on Monday.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound senior chose UW over offers from Pittsburgh, Iowa, Coastal Carolina and Army, among others schools, this summer.

Wisconsin lost a commitment from four-star tailback Jaquez Keyes

The transition from Paul Chryst to Luke Fickell likely played a significant part in Keyes' decision. While at Cincinnati, Fickell and his staff did not offer the Ohio native.

Additionally, Keyes formed a strong relationship with first-year position coach Al Johnson during his recruitment. His future with the Badgers is uncertain, and Wisconsin's offense will likely look different in 2023.

"The kid just has a natural feel for running the football," Ironton High School head coach Trevon Pendleton told BadgerBlitz.com at the time of Keyes' commitment. "Very good balance, stays behind his pads, enough wiggle that he can weak-shoulder people and get on half a man to finish runs the way that you need to in the Big Ten. That's where I see his home being.

"Ja fits very well with the gap-scheme stuff at Wisconsin. The small little jump cut and having enough bend to get low and run behind his pads, he's got that, along with the physicality to finish runs. As the weather gets colder and the season goes along, you need someone to run the ball in November to win championships. Ja is going to be able to do that for you."

With Keyes no longer in the picture, Nate White, a three-star in-state senior, is the lone running back commit for the Badgers in the senior cycle.

Wisconsin currently has eight scholarship commitments in the 2023 class.

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