Isaac Hamm breaks down signing with UW, dinner with Chryst, future position

COTTAGE GROVE, WIS. -- Isaac Hamm sat with three other Sun Prairie teammates inside a hotel lobby at a table adorn with helmets and various college memorabilia. Visual highlights of his Cardinal career filled a poster board. Iowa and Northern Illinois were represented with tight end Addison Ostrenga and offensive lineman Evan Malcore, respectively, as well as standout Division III program UW-Oshkosh with Nick Oehrlein.

Then came the big moment. Hamm, sitting down, unzipped his gray jacket to reveal a familiar cardinal red color on a T-shirt, the state of Wisconsin outlined with "608" emboldened in white inside the borders.

With that declaration, Hamm became scholarship signee No. 14 for Wisconsin's 2022 class.

"I think it's been a little bit of a battle between a few schools kind of getting up to this signing day period and kind of this commitment," Hamm told reporters on Wednesday after the pictures and celebration. "And I think that it was Ohio State and Wisconsin towards the end of it.

"But really regardless of who it was, I kind of felt that this was the right choice for me. I get the at-home family vibe from there. The culture and tradition at that school is amazing, and that's something I really wanted to be a part of."

Hamm, who received 10 offers that included Penn State, Notre Dame and Iowa, spoke with reporters for about 11 minutes. Questions and answers have been edited lightly for clarity:

How tough was that? Like you mentioned, kind of cut down to a couple schools at the end, but just how tough was it to make that decision, such a big choice in your life?

"It's kind of one of those things where as it kind of creeps up on you and you get closer to it, it really becomes a harder decision. So with a little bit of time, and kind of talking with my family, and my coaches and kind of all of that, we came to that consensus after quite a while, and we didn't want to rush the choice, but now that we're here, and we made this choice, I definitely know it's going to be the best one for me."

Was there a turning point when you knew it was Wisconsin?

"I would say after I had dinner with Coach [Paul] Chryst, just last week. Kind of didn't really tell anybody about the dinner, but we went out. We had a dinner, kind of in-home visit thing, and at that point, I really knew that that was gonna be the place for me. And that's the kind of the coaching staff I wanted to build that relationship in the future with."

Who did you go out to dinner with?

"It was myself, my father and coach Haering and coach Chryst."

What was their reaction when you told him you'd be staying home?

"It meant the world to them, and really, I've been a kid that they've been recruiting for quite a while now, and they were one of the first schools to kind of take a chance on me and really believe in me to offer me.

"So kind of hearing that, that I was confirming that back to them, that I was really giving the same commitment to them that they were giving to me, it was kind of a big smile on coach Chryst's face. And I could tell that was really a big moment for him as well as it was for me. So I'm glad that I made that choice."

When did that conversation take place?

"This conversation was, boy, I want to say last Tuesday. I have a terrible memory, don't hold me to it, but last Tuesday, I want to say, I was at dinner. Then it was kind of that night that I said, 'Hey, coach, I'm going to be committing to you, and I know you guys are fully bought into me, and I think that this is going to be something that works out great for us.' He was all on board, so am I, so it was definitely the right choice."

Are you coming in as an outside linebacker or defensive end? What do they see?

"Really that kind of outside linebacker, more of a defensive lineman in the fact that I'll be on the line but kind of more of an edge rusher. So kind of that nine-technique defensive end, kind of outside edge rusher kind of guy. So that'll be where I'm at."

What do you think you do well in that type of role at Wisconsin?

"I would say that a lot of my physical attributes, kind of my height and my speed and kind of some of my strength is kind of more based towards the outside edge rusher and kind of getting up off the edge, rather than kind of clogging up the gaps in the middle and run stopping. I think it'll be a great fit for me, and I think that it's something I'll definitely be learning a little bit of kind of things, how to work in that position, but it'll be a good spot for me.

Are you planning on enrolling early are going to be are going to be waiting till the summer?

"I think I'll be waiting till the summer so I'll be enrolling with most of the rest of the guys. I know they had a few early enrollees, but most of the guys, I'll be in there with them."

Did you tell any of the other commits in the class?

"Myles. Mr. Myles Burkett and Braelon Allen. Those are the two dudes who knew, and so I figured I knew them for quite a while now, built a relationship with them. Those two dudes I trusted to tell, so Myles and Braelon knew ahead of time."

What's your excitement level just to play in a Jim Leonhard defense, especially a run defense that's among the best in the country here the last five years?

"Obviously, he's the most knowledgeable dude in the country when it comes to the defensive side of the football, and there's nobody else I'd rather be playing for, and I know that he's gonna put me in a position to make myself succeed as well as all my teammates. I would say that just knowing that he's gonna be kind of running the things on defense for these next few years is definitely a great feeling. Good hands to be in."

We talked very early on when there was a 'Super Six' about all the guys maybe coming to Wisconsin together. Obviously that hasn't happened, but for you to commit, how important do you think that is for an in-state guy, especially knowing that there are a couple other guys in your class who chose another school?

"We saw a couple dudes -- Billy [Schrauth] went to Notre Dame, we had a couple other dudes leave, go out of state. But for my guys and the guys that are kind of in this 2022 class for Wisconsin, we knew that if we stuck together, we could build something special over these next few years, and that's really the goal. That we know that with some of the firepower and talent that we've got inside of this new class that I think is going to be something special for sure."

What is your message now for Carson Hinzman who is also torn between the same two schools as you were?

"I'll tell him that now that I made this choice, there is no doubt that Wisconsin's the place to be. Come home, Carson."

Did you officially have an Ohio State offer, or where do things stand with those guys, because you said they were the other school that was your final?

"So it didn't really shake out the terms of being a cold cut offer or not an offer, but it was kind of one of those things where if I were to make sure I'm doing things on my end, on the field and in the classroom and kind of making sure I'm progressing like that, then that would be a school that would definitely be one of those scholarship opportunities for me that I could go out and play for.

"But for me, I know I wanted to stay home, and I've wanted to play in front of a home crowd since I've been a little kid and be a Badger. So to me, it kind of came down to that and I followed my heart."

When did that relationship with Braelon Allen start?

"I played him my sophomore year in the playoffs. It was round three of the playoffs, we played at Fond du Lac, and that was kind of when we built that relationship, and at the time, he was a pretty highly-ranked athlete. I had no rankings, but we kind of recognized each other and that we both had some things going for us, and we built that respect early on, and I think ever since then, that's kind of carried over."

When did you tell Myles and Braelon? Was it, obviously, before this?

"I told Braelon first, actually, because him and I had a bet quite a while back that I never came through on. So I told him, 'Hey, your bet still stands, and I'll be keeping my end of it.'

"But I told Myles, I kind of hinted at it towards that state game once things wrapped up. Him and I kind of went out into the middle, and we talked a little bit, and I said, 'Hey, I've got some big news coming for you soon, and so that'll be something pretty special'.

"So kinda told Braelon early on and then in that state game, I think Myles kind of picked up the hints that I was gonna be a Badger."

So in practice when Braelon's coming down the hole and you're there to meet him, how does that end?

"I'll kill that kid. Nah, I'm just kidding. I'll be honest, I probably couldn't tackle him. Look at the kid. He's massive. I think that just building some of those relationships early with kids like Braelon, I think that's gonna be huge and kind of knowing some of those guys before I get on campus, they can kind of welcome you in and make me feel at home. So I think it's definitely gonna kind of be cool to see some of those dudes once they get to campus."

I think you had said before that when you were a sophomore, you were 200 pounds. And then, all of a sudden, you gain 50, 60 pounds. Does that sound right?

"Yeah, more than that. I was sitting at like 300 or something like that. So up there."

Where are you at now?

"Sitting at like 245 right now, somewhere around there. 240, 245. So lost a little bit of weight, but definitely made up for that plus some with athleticism and speed and kind of that get off off the ball. So it's been working for me."

What have you talked about with Ross Kolodziej about for what he sees from you at that defensive end spot?

"He's been recruiting me for a while now when Coach Nokes [Inoke Breckterfield] left [to Vanderbilt]. And so I think that he's kind of seeing that physical change that I've had kind within my body type and all that. So we've really played around with where he thinks I'm going to be, but what it's going to end up being is however I grow and develop in college is where I'm going to be playing at.

"I really think that no matter where him and Mr. Leonhard want to put me, I know that they're going to be putting me in the best spot for success myself. So really, it's up to them at this point."

How does it feel just to have this all behind you now and know that it's official?

"It's a great feeling. It's a huge weight off my shoulders. I know, coming into tonight, it was definitely something to be excited for, but definitely something I was a little nervous for, too. I won't lie. And so I think kind of just now, knowing that I don't have that pressure on my shoulders anymore, it's definitely nice."

Was there ever a moment where you didn't quite know that you'd be staying home?

"I feel like early in my recruiting, kind of when Notre Dame offered and Penn State offered, some of those schools, I definitely looked into them a lot, and I saw that they had something great going on over there at that time. And I said, 'Hey, maybe that's something I want to be a part of. Maybe I want to leave the state.'

"But I think that kind of not rushing my decision really led me to make the right choice, which was in my sake, being a Badger."

What made you decide to come out and didn't say anything, no words? Why did you decide to do it that way?

"I thought that kind of the people that were going to be coming out tonight were really the closest family and friends and all that, and these are really the people that I think deserve to know that first. And so rather than just coming on social media and putting it out there ahead of time, I figured this would be a pretty special place to get that all taken care of. And now I'm definitely glad that it happened this way."

I meant the just coming out and not saying anything, just doing the unveiling [of his decision].

"Oh. It was a tough choice. We're thinking about putting hats out in front, kind of playing that game. We were thinking about doing a few different things, rolling something down behind me, a flag. But this was a simple way. I didn't have to be all sneaky with where I'm gonna put something, hiding in the hat and whatever. So I figured I would just do it this way, and it worked out really well."

At the end of the season, I know you guys played such a long season, going to the state title game. How do you feel physically, getting ready to prepare to go to the college level?

"There were some issues with my shoulders through the season that I was planning on getting fixed here in a little bit and kind of working on progressing the right way and those things. But I'm definitely feeling a lot better now that the season's kind of gotten out, and I've had some time to heal up a little bit and take that time off, and I think that's definitely one of the most important things is making sure you're taking the time to let your body heal before you get back in the weight room, into running and all that kind of stuff."

You're talking about a procedure?

"Yeah, we'll probably be getting a surgery here, and I'm not quite sure on the timeline with that, but kind of working on that strengthening and getting that size back up. Then once we kind of get somewhere where we're comfortable with, we'll work in that direction.

Is it the left shoulder?

"Yeah, it's my left shoulder."

What was the injury?

"It was a torn labrum, and I've been battling. In fact, both of my labrums are torn, but I don't believe I'll be undergoing surgery on both, so I believe I'll be getting my left done."

You missed a few games this season?

"Yeah, I missed a few games kind of after it got reactivated, but fought through it for these last two years. So now it's probably time to make sure we get that taken care of."

How long is that recovery? Did they say how long it will take?

"Probably, if I'm taking care of it, doing my rehab, like four months. Three, four months till I'm really good and really be able to the lift and kind of get back on the field and contact and all that kind of stuff.

Will you be ready by the summer then?

"Yeah, it shouldn't be too much of a timeline at all."

_________________________________________________

*Chat about this article in The Badgers' Den

*Check out our videos, interviews, and Q&As on our YouTube channel

*Subscribe and listen to the BadgerBlitz.com podcast (as seen on Apple, Google, Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts)

*Follow us on Twitter: @McNamaraRivals, @JakeKoco, @TheBadgerNation, @RaulV45

*Like us on Facebook