BadgerBlitz.com dives into its message board to take questions from subscribers in this week's recruiting mailbag.
How would you grade the football staff on the 2021 recruiting class given the hurdles of the pandemic this spring and summer?
When the COVID-19 pandemic shut things down in early March, Wisconsin had eight commitments in the 2021 class. Roughly four months later, that list has nearly doubled despite the coaches not being able to get prospects on campus.
A quick rundown...
Jake Chaney - The three-star linebacker may not be considered one of the bigger "splash" commitments in Wisconsin's 2021 class, but Chaney had a healthy offer sheet and should fit nicely at inside linebacker for the Badgers.
Antwan Roberts - Like Chaney, Roberts doesn't necessarily bring the star ranking and monster offer list to the table, but Wisconsin identified him early in the process and earned his commitment this spring. If you trust the coaches' evaluation of running backs, Roberts, who brings intriguing size and a unique skill-set to the position, should have a bright future in Madison.
Jack Pugh - A huge get at a position of need for the Badgers. Wisconsin held off a late push by Penn State in order to earn Pugh's commitment.
Darryl Peterson and T.J. Bollers - Two monster commitments for UW on the edge. Each had an offer from Alabama, among many other schools, and for Wisconsin to come out on top was awfully impressive.
Michael Jarvis - The three-star lineman was heating up on the recruiting front down the stretch. Inoke Breckterfied wanted versatility and he got that in the 6-foot-5, 250-pound rising senior.
Ricardo Hallman - Landing a four-star cornerback rarely happens at UW. The Badgers did an excellent job in Hallman's recruitment despite not being able to get him on campus.
All things considered, I'd give Wisconsin's recruiting efforts an A- minus during the pandemic. The staff found a way to be successful in June without the luxury of official visits. The work this spring and summer has put the Badgers in a position to land a top 25 recruiting class for the first time during the Rivals.com era.
