Inked for the Wisconsin Badgers: Three-star outside linebacker Aaron Witt

With the early signing period for high school football players beginning on Dec. 18, BadgerBlitz.com dives into a closer look at the commits who have signed with the Wisconsin Badgers.

Let's take a look at outside linebacker Aaron Witt, who officially signed with Wisconsin on Wednesday.

The 13th commitment in Wisconsin’s 2020 class, Witt is a three-star prospect by Rivals.com. He is also rated the No.32 defensive end in the country and the No.4 prospect in Minnesota.

Witt committed to the Badgers over 10 other scholarship offers. Previously committed to Minnesota and Iowa, Witt had other offers from Iowa State, Oregon State and more.

The only flip in Wisconsin’s 2020 recruiting class (so far), Witt’s recruiting is largely centered in the Midwest. Finishing with 57 tackles and 12 tackles for loss his sophomore year, Witt picked up offers from Iowa State and Iowa during the June 2018 camp circuit. The Hawkeyes quickly became a favorite of Witt, who visited a month after he got his Iowa offer and again in the fall for a game.

“What stood out was how laid back and easy to talk the coaches were,” Witt told Rivals in July 2018. “They told me that they really liked me and I'm the type of player they want on their team. They value toughness, grit, work ethic, and good character. I think I bring that to the table, and they believe that.”

However, it appeared it would be tough for any school to compete with Minnesota. Witt had made three game-day visits to Minneapolis and praised the energy around the program. He also complemented the aggressive recruiting style of head coach P.J. Fleck, who Witt talked to him “once or twice a day, at least.” By mid-November 2018, Witt decided that the Gophers would be his choice.

“I committed because I knew that no matter who else offered, I would want to play for Minnesota,” he told Rivals at the time. “It felt like home. The people there are amazing, and I just love the culture … I want to bring Championships back to Minnesota. Something special is happening in Minnesota and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

As time wore on, however, Witt began to feel differently. Taking more visits to the campus after he committed, Witt’s comfort level with the program began to wear off, mainly with how he felt he fit into Fleck’s program. By the spring, Witt de-committed, got contacted by a half-dozen Power 5 schools and set up official visits to Iowa and Iowa State. After his official visit to Iowa City, Witt announced his commitment to the Hawkeyes in May 2019.

“They are an all work mentality and that's what I've been raised around, so I felt like I was at home,” Witt told Rivals.com.

As it turns out, Witt would be on the move one more time. A little more than two months after his Iowa commitment, Wisconsin extended Witt a scholarship. Apparently, the Badgers had been the dream school growing up. Finally getting a scholarship from UW (linebacker coach Bob Bostad had been in steady contact) was the tipping point for Witt, who made his second and (we presume) final flip when he joined the Badgers.

“He told me Wisconsin was the dream school and the school he grew up watching. That was the big thing to be able to go to the school he's followed since he was a kid.”

-Winona head coach John Cassellius to BadgerBlitz.com

“We're a 4-2-5, primarily, as Aaron plays defensive end. But there are times when we'll stand him up at that outside linebacker on the edge. He plays well in space and his first step is very explosive. Obviously, he's going to have to work on playing up but we're starting to work on that already. I would say about half his snaps this fall during camp were at outside linebacker. Our job is to win games but also prepare kids for the next level. He'll play wherever we ask him to do and he'll do that real well."

- Cassellius to BadgerBlitz.com

Able to do seated box jumps early in his high school career, Witt’s explosiveness, mobility and flexibility in his hips are three of his biggest assets. Even though Witt played a lot on the defensive line (a position that helped him generate 18 tackles for loss as a junior), Wisconsin spent a lot of time working with Witt at the outside linebacker position during the Badgers’ fall camp. Even with the newness to the spot, Witt obviously showed enough upside that excited the coaching staff.

Wisconsin lost a pair of outside linebackers prior to the season (Skyler Meyers and Griffin Grady), so there will be opportunities for younger players to contribute. Witt has a good-sized OLB frame and long arms to be disruptive in the passing game but will need to work on the nuisances of the position (i.e. dropping back into coverage). It’s the same kind of challenges T.J. Watt and Andrew Van Ginkel faced when they switched positions. How did that work out?