Inked for the Wisconsin Badgers: Four-star Offensive Lineman James Durand

With the early signing period for high school football players beginning on Dec. 21, BadgerBlitz.com dives into a closer look at the commits who have signed with the Wisconsin Badgers.

Let's take a look at Chandler (AZ) Basha offensive lineman James Durand, who officially signed with Wisconsin on Wednesday after committing to the program in May 2022.

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The 2nd commitment in Wisconsin’s 2023 class, Durand is a four-star prospect by Rivals.com. He is rated the No.14 offensive guard by Rivals.com, the No.5 prospect in Arizona, and the No.218 prospect nationally.

Durand committed to the Badgers over 16 other scholarship offers, including Arizona, BYU, California, Oregon State, and Utah.

While born in Colorado and living in the Southwest, Durand was familiar with the Wisconsin program and the state with his family growing up in Shell Lake (90 minutes north of Eau Claire). So, while getting early scholarship offers from Iowa State, New Mexico, and others were nice, it was an offer from the Badgers in March that was impactful. The Badgers aggressively recruited Durand, along with Cal and Arizona, with former offensive line coach Bob Bostad leading the recruitment. It was him forging a bond with Durand, and the fact that UW has an agricultural program that he wants to major in, that led to the lineman verbally committing to the program in the spring.

“When I got there for the visit, just being around the practice and the team, you can see this culture that is undeniable. Of all the places that I’ve been, it’s the absolute best culture that I’ve seen.

“I whole-heartedly believe that there is no better place to be a football player, as well as a student-athlete, than Wisconsin. You can absolutely feel that when you’re there, and you can feel the ‘get better’ mentality. That was a huge thing for me and it drew me in. Once I was on campus, I knew there was no other place that I wanted to be.”

“He’s kind of a no-nonsense, lunch pail-type of guy who just wants to get after it in the trenches. When you talk about teams in the college football landscape, Wisconsin comes to mind when you’re looking for those things.”

“James has the physical intangibles that got him recruited. But then when you meet the young man, he’s kind of an old soul. He’s been raised very well by his parents. He wants to be coached hard and he wants to be pushed. He’s not really a social media, ‘hey look at me’ guy. Not out there chasing offers, he just wants to show up and go to work and impose his will on the field. I think coaches saw a breath of fresh air when they met him because it’s just hard to find kids like him these days.”

- High School Coach Chris McDonald

At 6-foot-6 and 285 pounds, as well as the only offensive lineman currently in the class, Durand has the physical makeup and athleticism to play all five spots along the offensive line. However, much like his older brother Jonathan Durand at Yale, James will likely start somewhere in the interior unless a growth spurt changes that approach.

Durand playing guard or center looks like a perfect match, considering the strength and meanness that he plays with on tape. He’s a grinder and likes to get after defenders from his left tackle spot in high school. His highlight tape shows a lot of pass blocking out of Basha’s shotgun offense, so there are a lot of views of Durand stymying defenders or driving them to the ground. He’ll have to grow into Wisconsin’s run-blocking scheme, but the Badgers potentially moving to an air-raid-style offense should fit into a strength of his.

A lineman who has steadily risen in the Rivals rankings since he committed, Durand has a long wingspan, puts up good numbers in the weight room, possesses exceptional flexibility, and moves fluidly. He reaffirmed his commitment to the Badgers’ new coaching staff on an official visit this month and has the profile of a lineman who could be NFL caliber down the road.

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