In-state look ahead: 21 to watch in the 2021 class (Part 2)

Wisconsin signed seven scholarship prospects from inside the state - Chimere Dike, Cole Dakovich, Trey Wedig, Ben Barten, Jack Nelson, Tanor Bortolini and Cade McDonald - during college football's early signing period this month.

With that in mind, BadgerBlitz.com takes a look ahead at who could be in the same position a year from now in the 2021 cycle.

Note: Prospects are listed in no specific order. This is the second installment in a two-part series.

***PART ONE***

Committed to: Wisconsin

The word: The first in-state prospect Wisconsin offered in the 2021 class, Hunter Wohler recently committed to UW over offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Notre Dame and Ohio State. The four-star safety is a two-time all-state selection and was named the 2019 WFCA defensive player of the year.

"I actually called coach (Paul) Chryst on Thursday," Wohler told BadgerBlitz.com. "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."

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."

Committed to: Wisconsin

The word: With his strong family connections to the University of Wisconsin, the question surrounding JP Benzschawel's recruitment was more "when" than "if" in relation to the Badgers' football program.

That answer came in February when the sophomore offensive tackle from Grafton (WI) High School committed to UW. In doing so, he became pledge No. 1 for head coach Paul Chryst in the 2021 class.

"Coach Chryst and Coach (Chris) Haering reached out to me about two weeks ago and said they wanted to come by because they were going to be in the area and making a few stops," Grafton coach Jim Norris told BadgerBlitz.com. "I believe one of the stops was to Waukesha North to see the receiver (Chimere Dike) they have there. Obviously with both brothers playing at Wisconsin, the coaches knew who JP was and knew the potential that he had. Really with that first visit, they wanted to see what kind of person JP was and how he handled himself in the hallway, stuff like that.

"And then this past week, Coach Haering and Coach (Joe) Rudolph were trying to get down here but we had that crazy weather. They made it here on Friday and I let JP know that they wanted to offer. He just asked if this was serious and if I was being real with him. So he obviously accepted and committed on the spot, and it was just great to see how happy he was in that moment. It was a great moment for the family and just awesome for JP to get that early nod from Wisconsin."

Benzschawel is a familiar name around Camp Randall Stadium. Older brothers Beau (former offensive guard) and Luke (junior tight end) are part of the legacy, as is JP's father, Scott, and uncle, Eric, who both played for Wisconsin in the 1980s.

Committed to: Wisconsin

The word: Wisconsin secured an early commitment from in-state tailback Loyal Crawford in August. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound junior was also hearing from Iowa, Northern Illinois, North Dakota, North Dakota State, South Dakota, South Dakota State and Illinois State at the time of his commitment.

"I first met Loyal when he got done with 8th grade when he came in to lift in the summer," head coach Mike Sinz told BadgerBlitz.com. "He was so explosive, so fast and he was lifting with our upperclassmen - kids that were three or four years older than him. Right away you knew he was a gifted kid and he's starting to put it all together.

"He had the collarbone injury last year and he'll be a huge piece of the puzzle for us. He's our guy on offense and he is, in my opinion, one of the best kids in the state. And with my growing up following high school football really closely, he's probably the best football player I've ever been around. He's that talented."

Crawford was limited this fall due to injuries.

Committed to: Wisconsin

The word: A WFCA all-state selection this fall, Ayo Adebogun, who had 75 total tackles, including 17 sacks as a junior, committed to Wisconsin in December. He is expected to play outside linebacker for the Badgers.

"Ayo is an incredibly gifted athlete," Homestead defensive coordinator Matt Wolf told BadgerBlitz.com. "He's twitchy with high-end speed and he uses his hands very effectively in comparison with other athletes. His ball get-off is really second to none. Ayo was blocked last year by another Division 1 kid, Jake Raddatz, who was a three-year starter for us at strong-side defensive end. So with Ayo, it wasn't that he wasn't ready last year, we just had some good kids ahead of him on a team that won a state championship and went undefeated.

"He definitely has the speed to play linebacker. We've had conversations about doing that at the high school level, but we feel like the closer you are to the football, the better chance you'll have to make an impact on the game. So as a really gifted athlete, we like to play Ayo on the line and close to the football. But he has the athleticism to make that transition.

"Like I said, his ball get-off is really, really good. The best way I can describe him is that he's he's extremely explosive and athletic. A lot of his sacks are high-motor things where he's coming from the backside. He runs to the ball extremely hard and he plays with his hands really well."

Committed to: Wisconsin

The word: It will be interesting to see how Jackson Acker develops over the next year or so. The three-star prospect earned his offer as a running back at camp this past summer. But there's a chance Acker, 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, grows into a linebacker at the next level.

"Talking to the Wisconsin coaches, they see Jackson as an athlete," Wildcats' head coach Dave Richardson told BadgerBlitz.com. "If he stays around the same size, he is fast and quick enough to play running back, and he proved that at camp. But if he grows into something else, he'd also be great as an outside linebacker in their 3-4 defense. He could potentially carry 240 or 250 pounds in a few years. The possibilities are endless because he has a great frame and isn't done growing yet.

"For us, he's going to be all over the field. We just have to decide where he's going to create the most havoc. When you get a kid like this, you're going to spread him around quite a bit and have some fun with it."

Acker rushed for over 900 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior.

Offers from: Iowa State, Nebraska

The Word: Wisconsin is going to have to make a decision on Marcus Mbow from Wauwatosa East High School. The three-star prospect already has offers from Iowa State and Nebraska, with strong interest coming from a handful of other schools in the Big Ten. Mbow, who also competes in basketball at East, visited Madison in early September.

"We walked onto the field and a few coaches came up and introduced themselves. They told me they have been watching my film and they like what they see," Mbow told BadgerBlitz.com. "I got to meet Coach (Joe) Rudolph, which was awesome. He was saying good things about me.

"Coach Rudolph was saying that he was loving what he was seeing on film and he was super pumped that I was there. After in the locker room he was telling me he loved what I've been doing and he said to make sure to send him my film towards the end of the season. He said I would be a great fit there."

Offers from: Central Michigan, Iowa State, Kent State, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan

The Word: Junior defensive end Hayden Nelson is one of the top in-state prospects in the 2021 class. The Brookfield Central standout already lists offers from Central Michigan, Iowa State, Kent State, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan, and has taken trips to Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Miami, Iowa and Michigan State, among others.

"I just think he’s (Nelson) a Big Ten player," Central head coach Joel Nellis told BadgerBlitz.com. "I think he’s a guy that belongs in that league. He’s only going to continue to improve. He’s a young kid. He’s got two years left, and I like where he’s at, growth-wise.”

Nelson had 33 tackles and two sacks this past fall.

Offers from: Iowa State

The word: Iowa State was the first school to offer in-state tight end Garrett Gillette, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound junior from Mukwonago High School.

“He (Matt Campbell) liked my film a lot and how fast I was with all of my cutting,” Gillette told Rivals.com. “He talked about how much he uses the tight ends and how important they are to the team. They use them on special teams and just about everywhere on the field. That was pretty cool to hear. They used the tight ends a lot (against Kansas). (Kolar, Allen and Soehner) were all over the field. I think I’m kind of a combination of all of them.”

Wisconsin, Central Michigan, Miami (Ohio) and Northern Illinois are also showing interest in Gillette, who had 10 catches for 177 yards and two touchdowns as a junior. His older brother, Dalton Gillette, currently plays at Minnesota-Duluth.

Offers from: Northern Illinois

The word: Javaughn Byrd, who ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash at Northern Illinois' camp this past summer, is an intriguing prospect at safety. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound junior visited Wisconsin twice this fall.

"They sat me and my grandparents down and told us that they loved what they saw on film - my speed, length, etc.," Byrd told BadgerBlitz.com. "Multiple coaches said they were very serious about me and they showed tremendous hospitality and interest. Coach (Jensen) Gebhardt admired my speed from the safety position and liked how I fly to the ball.

"The facilities were great and so was the atmosphere. It was great getting to talk to most of the coaches and hearing them say they were very interested in me, my play and what I could bring to their program."

Byrd had six interceptions and 32 tackles as a junior.

Interest from: Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan State, Northern Illinois and Wisconsin

The word: A 6-foot-2, 177-pound in-state junior from Whitefish Bay, Jayden Jackson plays quarterback at the high school level but likely projects to receiver or safety in college.

"So far with Wisconsin I’m recorded down as a wide out," Jackson told BadgerBlitz.com. "But they are also interested in me at safety. The feedback from the coaches has been good. They like how I play and how I’m an athlete.

"The atmosphere of the stadium and the love of the sport from the fans stood out to me. Both times I went, I believe the stands were full. All the fans being up on their feet and cheering was breathtaking. It was an experience I won’t ever forget."

*****In-state look ahead: 21 to watch in the 2021 class (Part 2)*****