12/24/2019 football Edit

Badgers lock up four-star in-state safety Hunter Wohler

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.

Christmas came early for Wisconsin, which secured a commitment from junior safety Hunter Wohler on Monday evening.

"I was up there last Saturday and I talked to some of the coaches and players," Wohler told BadgerBlitz.com. "I got to see the facilities a bit more and I got a better feel for the whole program. I also got to talk to some of the players, which was helpful.

"It just felt like the right fit for me. It felt like home."

Hunter Wohler (Jon McNamara/BadgerBlitz.com)

A 6-foot-2, 190-pound junior, Wohler chose the Badgers over offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Notre Dame and Ohio State. The four-star prospect is commit No. 8 for UW in the 2021 class.

"I actually called coach (Paul) Chryst on Thursday," Wohler, a two-time all-state selection, said. "I kept it pretty low-key because I wanted to tell my family first. But he was super excited and he can't wait to get to work.

"His message was that it's time to win a championship and do something Wisconsin hasn't done before. I fully believe in that statement."

The WFCA defensive player of the year after registering 122 tackles this fall, Wohler, a Rivals250 prospect, helped Muskego win a second straight Division 1 state title this past fall. Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard was the lead contact in his recruitment.

"He's (Leonhard) one of the big reasons for my commitment," Wohler said. "He knows the position in and out and how to coach guys based on their talent and skill. I just want to learn from the best and I think Coach Leonhard is one of the best. I can't wait to get to work with him."

Wohler, who also competes in basketball and track at Muskego, is the fifth in-state commit in the junior cycle for UW, along with JP Benzschawel, Ayo Adebogun, Loyal Crawford and Jackson Acker.

"It came at the right time and I didn't push anything," Wohler said. "I felt that Wisconsin is the place I need to be and I can focus on school and getting better. I'll definitely be reaching out to some people to help get them aboard with me, too."