In-state LB Ethan Doucette talks Wisconsin visit, playoff run at Kimberly
Ethan Doucette, a key contributor on Kimberly (WI) High School's undefeated team this fall, took his first recruiting visit to Wisconsin this past weekend.
A 6-foot-1, 210-pound junior, Doucette was in Madison for the Badgers' 27-7 win over Iowa last Saturday.
"We drove down there on Saturday and ate breakfast and meet some of the coaches," Doucette told BadgerBlitz.com. "Steven Schrum was a coach that I spent time with that day, and I also got to meet Chris Orr. He's a Wisconsin alum and part of their player development team over there. The hospitality was amazing and everyone was super kind and relatable. They definitely wanted to give you honest feedback.
"After that we got a tour of the facilities. I thought the weight room was awesome and I was happy to see that because you're going to spend a lot of time in there. The stadium was amazing and it was surprising just how awesome of an atmosphere it was. It was an awesome game to be at and I'm definitely glad I got the opportunity to go there."
Doucette, a first-team all-conference selection this fall, is in the beginning stages of his recruitment with the Badgers. He feels he could play either linebacker spot at the next level.
"During the visit I got to meet Coach (Bobby) April, which was great," Doucette said. "A couple of coaches said that I should be proud of myself for making it this far and use it as motivation to keep coming back. They said to keep my head up and keep working. A lot of them kept saying that I was trending upward and if I keep doing all the small things, they see a bright future for me.
"I'm sort of a hybrid guy and I think I can play both, which recruiters seem to like. I don't really have one position where I can play and no coach has specifically mentioned inside or outside. I play on the outside this year but I'll probably move back to inside next year to be the quarterback of the defense."
Kimberly, one of the most successful programs in the state this decade, has produced a number of Division 1 players under head coach Steve Jones. With that, Doucette has plenty of people to talk to when it comes to recruiting.
"A lot of our coaches have been helping me out," Doucette said. "Coach Jones, probably one of the best in the nation, has been great because he's seen everything. So getting advice from him and how to respond and knowing what to say to colleges has been great. Guys who have come from Kimberly, I've talked to Logan Bruss and asked him some questions. Caleb Frazer is at UNI and I can bounce stuff off of him. He's given me an outlook and how things go with recruiting.
"Miami of Ohio recently reached out, along with Central Michigan, North Dakota and North Dakota State. That's it for now but hopefully that grows once my junior tape gets out there. I'm looking forward to seeing what the future holds."
The Papermakers (11-0) host Appleton North on Friday night in a WIAA Level 3 showdown.
"We play Appleton North this week and that's a big one for us," Doucette said. "We just want to get better each week because it's a race to get better. Of course the goal is to get to Camp Randall, but we're just focused on getting better each week. It's been awesome playing with these guys and we've created a lot of good relationships."
*Chat about this article in The Badgers' Den
*Check out our videos, interviews, and Q&As on our YouTube channel
*Subscribe and listen to the BadgerBlitz.com podcast (as seen on Apple, Google, Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts)
*Follow us on Twitter: @McNamaraRivals, @JakeKoco, @TheBadgerNation, @RaulV45
*Like us on Facebook