Inked for the Wisconsin Badgers: Two-star OL Tanor Bortolini

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 offensive lineman Tanor Bortolini, who officially signed with Wisconsin on Wednesday.

The seventh commitment in Wisconsin’s 2020 class, Bortolini is a two-star prospect by Rivals.

Bortolini picked Wisconsin over 21 other offers, including Power 5 offers from Iowa, Miami (FL) and Syracuse.

Wisconsin’s 2020 recruiting class was already sitting strong with offensive linemen, as four-star prospects Jack Nelson and Trey Wedig and three-star prospects Dylan Barrett and Ben Barten by Halloween 2018. That cache of talent made it appear unlikely that Wisconsin would have room for any other prospect.

The offensive and defensive line of the year in the Packerland Conference, Bortolini was a solid in-state prospect heading into his senior year. He picked up his first Power-Five offer from Syracuse in February, but Bortolini was getting little interest from the Badgers. That changed as the spring went on, eventually leading Wisconsin offensive coordinator/line coach Joe Rudolph to offer him a scholarship to play on the interior of the o-line in mid-May. To Bortolini’s credit, he didn’t deliver a quick commitment as he evaluated his decision. By the end of the month, however, Bortolini was on board with the Badgers.

"The people there are amazing, and I really fit in and got along with them. I also see myself fitting into the program and being able to be very successful there. The coaches were extremely excited - like they were jumping around, giving high fives, hugs. It was really great, and you could tell that they were truly excited and really wanted me to be there."

- Bortolini told BadgerBlitz.com

"Talking to the coaches and knowing Tanor, they really like how athletic he was. He has a really good set of feet under him and I think that's one of his best attributes. He's a very intelligent kid with great academics and a 30 on his ACT - that's doesn't happen by accident. He applies all of that to the field and he does a great job of trying to understand the game. He's physical, but he also plays smart.

"He fits well on the interior because he can move and pull for them. He can get out in space and make plays for them. And then you talk about his intelligence, I think that's a reason Wisconsin has also talked about center with Tanor. Once he learns the scheme - and he'll be anxious to do it - he'll understand what is in front of him and he'll be able to direct and make the right calls. There has also been talk about him playing on the interior of the defensive line and that's where he kind of emerged for us. I think he's desirable on the interior for both sides."

- Kewaunee coach Randy Charles told BadgerBlitz.com.

Asked to play offensive tackle and edge rusher in high school, Bortolini has been able to showcase athleticism and footspeed at the two positions. Playing in a smaller conference, however, Bortolini will likely have a tougher transition than others at his position when it comes to matching the level of competition. He also will have to adjust to becoming an interior lineman, a process that will likely take him a year or two as he polishes his technique and footwork.

The good news is that his high school coach praised his work ethic. Since his commitment to Wisconsin, Bortolini has made a focused effort on increasing the size to his frame. After playing his junior season around 245 pounds, Bortolini pushed his weight up to 25 pounds in the ensuing six months by focusing on muscle building and nutrition. Once he gets to focus solely on one position, whether that be guard, center or defensive tackle, his ceiling for UW will be exceptionally high.