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Inked for the Wisconsin Badgers: Three-star offensive tackle Barrett Nelson

With the early signing period for high school football players beginning on Dec. 15, BadgerBlitz.com dives into a closer look at the commits who have signed with the Wisconsin Badgers.

Let's take a look at safety Barrett Nelson, who officially signed with Wisconsin on Wednesday.

RECRUITING COMPETITION/STORY

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Nelson, a Wisconsin legacy, chose UW over offers from Eastern Illinois, Iowa State, Kent State, Nebraska and Purdue. He was commit No. 2 for the Badgers in the 2022 class.

WHY WISCONSIN?

Three-star offensive lineman Barrett Nelson signed with Wisconsin on Wednesday.
Three-star offensive lineman Barrett Nelson signed with Wisconsin on Wednesday. (Jon McNamara/Rivals.com)

"I think in the back corner of my heart that it was always going to be Wisconsin," Nelson told BadgerBlitz.com. "With my family ties there and growing up in the culture of being an offensive lineman at Wisconsin, I just feel really tied to this area."

COACH'S TAKE

"He's one of those athletes where you put Bear, he's going to be successful," Cody Schultz, the athletic director and head football coach at Fall River High School, told BadgerBlitz.com. "He's going to give his best effort to learn whatever it is you want him to do. This year he played offensive tackle for us, but he also played zero-technique, three-technique and defensive end. And if I told him we needed him to run the ball, he'd be willing and able to do that, too. He's a gifted athlete but he'll put in the work that's necessary.

"He'll come in and be a program guy for Wisconsin. Whatever the team needs, he's going to be the guy who will do whatever the coaches need from him. But he's also got superb athletic ability and I think he was one of those hidden gems. Obviously being at Fall River he's at a small school, but its one of those things when you watch him explode off the ball, when you watch him drive a guy 15 yards down the field... he plays the way you want your linemen to play. As an offensive and defensive linemen, he's angry, plays with vengeance and does it between the whistle. He's just one of those butt kickers from the snap of the ball to the end of the whistle. He's a kid you can build a program around."

FROM THE EXPERT 

"Nelson showed tremendous upside from a young age. He is the son of a former Wisconsin offensive lineman, and his older brother Jack Nelson currently plays on the Wisconsin offensive line. Nelson always had a big time frame, but took a couple years to grow into it. He also started out as a defensive lineman prior to developing into a dominant force on the offensive line. It was never a question of talent with Nelson, it was more a question of when the Power 5 teams would start offering. Going into spring he had offers from Eastern Illinois and Kent State, but that all changed when Iowa State offered in March. He then committed to Wisconsin in June, and will carry on the family legacy."

"The rise of Nelson comes as no surprise, and his ranking will reflect that when updated. He has the size, ability, and lineage that makes him an obvious power-five level offensive lineman."

-Rivals.com Midwest Recruiting Analyst Clint Cosgrove

BADGERBLITZ.COM'S TAKE

Nelson's connection to the UW program are well documented. His father, Todd Nelson, was an offensive lineman at Wisconsin in the late 1980s. And his older brother, Jack Nelson, signed with the Badgers in the 2020 recruiting class and is currently preparing for the Las Vegas Bowl against Arizona State. Though there are certainly similarities between the two brothers, Barrett is looking to pave his own path at UW. At 6-foot-6 and 275 pounds, Nelson has the frame to play tackle but could slide inside to guard, if needed.

HUDL HIGHLIGHTS

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