The University of Wisconsin didn’t try to hide the fact how much they needed and wanted cornerback Geimere Latimer.
The Badgers were one of more than a dozen schools to contact the Jacksonville State sophomore after he entered the transfer portal last week which became his first scheduled visit. UW’s staff convinced him not to take any more.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Latimer told BadgerBlitz.com. “I can’t wait to be a part of Wisconsin and everything they got going on, everything they are trying to build with their program. The decision wasn’t really hard to make when I went there. I felt genuine love, more so my family felt the same thing.”
The 5-10, 190-pound Latimer is the 17th known transfer to commit to Wisconsin during the December portal window and fits an area of need that has grown exponentially. UW knew it was losing RJ Delancy and Nyzier Fourqurean, and could potentially see Ricardo Hallman leave early for the NFL.
However, UW’s depth at the position has been erased since the transfer window opened with projected starter Xavier Lucas along with senior Max Lofy and 2023 recruits Jace Arnold, Jonas Duclona, Amare Snowden, and Justin Taylor.
The only scholarship corners currently on the roster are Class of 2024 signees Omillio Agard and
Jay Harper and incoming freshmen Cairo Skanes and Jahmare Washington.
Latimer had planned a visit to West Virginia near the end of the month and was considering looking closer at Memphis, Troy, and Virginia Tech. Still, with the portal closing on December 28, UW made its desperation and need abundantly clear to Latimer and his parents during his official visit.
“Their pitch to me was as long as I came in and worked, I could come in and play early,” said Latimer, who has two years of eligibility remaining. “They have a bunch of young corners and Ricardo Hallman. They are talented, too, and I’m going to have to work to play, but (early playing time) was one of their big pitches to me that I can come in and be a starter.”
“I didn’t want to miss out on that opportunity,” he added. “Wisconsin just felt right. I don’t feel like I would be making a wrong decision to be there.”
A quarterback in high school who passed for 3,007 yards and 37 touchdowns his senior year, Latimer transition to corner in his two seasons at Jacksonville State has looked seamless. After playing 13 games as a true freshman, Latimer had 42 tackles, three interceptions, and five pass deflections for a Jacksonville State team that won a Conference USA championship.
“Be a quarterback, I understand a lot of route concepts and what a quarterback is looking at,” Latimer said. “If I was to describe myself as a corner, I have really good physicality. I got long arms, so PBUs aren’t necessarily hard for me to come by. I got decent speed and ball skills.”
“The thing I learned the most that hard work is always going to trump anything, any adversity that you face,” he continued. “When I came to Jacksonville State, I never played a high school snap at defensive back. I had to come in and work. Anything you do in life requires hard work. Nothing is ever going to be handed to you. You got to take what’s yours and I think taking that mentality to (the Big Ten) level helps.”
Latimer credits that mindset to Rich Rodriguez, his coach at Jacksonville State for the last two years who has also been a head coach at West Virginia, Michigan, and Arizona along with several Power-Four coordinator jobs.
“Coach Rich Rod is a winner,” Latimer said. “Everything we do is going to be 100 percent. In practice every day, you are going to be a better player if you are in his program. Even down to the scout players, everybody has to work. You are always being evaluated and whatever your best is, that’s what you’re expected to play at.
“I like being at Jacksonville State under Rich Rod. He’s a good coach and led a good program. We had back-to-back winning seasons. That’s hard to do in FBS college football.”
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