Inked for the Wisconsin Badgers: Three-star wide receiver Vinny Anthony

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 wide receiver Vinny Anthony, who officially signed with Wisconsin on Wednesday.

A 6-foot-1, 170-pound prospect from Male High School in Kentucky, Anthony chose Wisconsin over a top three that also included Cincinnati and Duke. He joins fellow three-star Tommy McIntosh as projected wide outs for Wisconsin in the senior cycle. The first-team all-state selection caught 49 passes for 1,108 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior.

"They (Alvis Whitted and Paul Chryst) both think that I can help the team win games and help them take the next step as a program," Anthony told BadgerBlitz.com. "They think I'm a great fit for them and they showed us who they really are. If I think that Wisconsin is the right fit me, then they're going to be excited to have me.

"They're great people and I really enjoyed talking to them and spending time with them. They were great men to be around and they have a lot of experience in both the college game and even the NFL. They're both winners and they know how to help their players become great. I really appreciated my time with them."

"For Vinny and for Wisconsin, they're kind of looking for the same type of thing," Male High School Chris Wolfe told BadgerBlitz.com. "Vinny is a high-level player and he's very strong academically - he takes that very seriously. Another thing about him is that he's a high-character kid who also runs track and is a great athlete. So he was looking for a place that had that same kind of culture, and I think that was a nice fit for me. We've never had a kid go to Wisconsin, so that's pretty exciting on our end to have them come down here and get one of the best players I've had.

"From a football standpoint, he's a guy who can do a lot of things with the football in his hands. He's got great one-on-one ball skills for what everyone calls the 50/50 balls. That's one of the things he's really good at because he really plays the ball well. He's a physical player and he doesn't mind mixing it up as a blocker. He's good on special teams and he's been our kick and punt returner. He just does all the things you'd expect an elite athlete to do. I just think it was a good find for Wisconsin and I think that they came down here and got a great player."

The offer sheet doesn't pop when looking at Anthony's recruitment on paper. But the three-star prospect from Kentucky emerged as a priority target for position coach Alvis Whittedthis winter. If you trust his evaluation, Anthony, who chose UW over Cincinnati and Duke, could be a nice find for the Badgers in the 2022 class.

At 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, Anthony isn't a burner or someone who can necessarily take the top off a defense. But he should be a nice compliment to Tommy McIntosh in this class as someone who can develop into a reliable, possession receiver for UW. According to head coach Chris Wolfe, Anthony has a strong ability to win contested battles.

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