Inked for the Wisconsin Badgers: Three-star tight end Cole Dakovich

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 tight end Cole Dakovich, who officially signed with Wisconsin on Wednesday.

The sixth commitment in Wisconsin’s 2020 class, Dakovich is a three-star prospect by Rivals.com and the No.15 tight end in the country

Wisconsin was the only scholarship offer for Dakovich, who was getting interest from Iowa, Purdue and South Dakota State.

After not playing football as a freshman and sophomore, Dakovich burst on the scene in a big way during his 2018 junior season. Helping lead the Crusaders to a Division 3 state championship, Dakovich finished his first season with 105 tackles, two sacks and two interceptions. That kind of productivity – not to mention upside - evidently impressed the Wisconsin staff.

The Badgers extended an offer to Dakovich in January 2019. Growing up in a family that followed Wisconsin athletics, it took less than a week for Dakovich to commit to the program.

“They (UW) said they really liked how I progressed from the start of the season and they think I have a really good upside," Dakovich told BadgerBlitz.com.

“His length and size is just so disruptive and it allowed us to do a lot of different things. He uses his hands really well, sheds blockers and he made some plays we traditionally weren't able to make at that position. To have a high school linebacker at size who can move the way he does is pretty rare.

"From a defensive perspective I think he was pretty solid for us. In certain situations, he could probably be more physical. But for only playing one year of football, he's way ahead of where we project our juniors to be. Otherwise, he was just a really solid player for us. He's really smart, so there weren't many mental mistakes for him. He just needs to continue to grow and get more comfortable as a football player."

-Catholic Memorial defensive coordinator Mike Kinateder to BadgerBlitz.com

Versatile is the key word when it comes to Dakovich, who will be a curiosity when he arrives on campus. An incredibly raw prospect who has put up some tremendous numbers in only two years of high school football, Dakovich finished 2019 with 75 tackles, eight tackles for loss and three sacks at outside linebacker and 28 catches for 297 yards and two touchdowns at tight end. The popular opinion is Dakovich will start at outside linebacker, where the 6-foot-5 prospect has shown to have good reach and speed off the edge.

However, Dakovich has shown on tape to have confidence catching and blocking. With a lack of depth at H-back also plaguing the Badgers, Dakovich is expected to find way into Mickey Turner’s position group, as well.

The Badgers have multiple tight ends and linebackers committed in this class, so the staff can be patient while Dakovich finds his natural spot. Wherever he lands, it appears he has molded himself into a quick study who has a knack for making positive plays for his position group.