NSD: A look at the 2015 class
With head coach Paul Chryst scheduled to announce Wisconsin's 2014 recruiting class Wednesday, BadgerBlitz.com contributors Jon Gorman, John Veldhuis and Jon McNamara provided their insight on the expected class.
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Top prospect:
Gorman: A former Texas commit, Jordan Stevenson appears poised to be the next in a line of great Badger running backs. Also a track star, Stevenson has explosive, game-changing speed and pairs it with remarkable balance that allows him to pinball off defenders. While he may not be Melvin Gordon -- and few are -- the four-star prospect should prove a superstar in his own right.
Veldhuis: Bradrick Shaw joined Wisconsin's signing class late in the game, but he's the highest-rated signee after Rivals.com ranked him No. 148 in the Rivals250. At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds Shaw has a similar body type to Melvin Gordon, although time will tell if he can replicate the out-going running back's explosiveness. There's going to be a lot of playing time available after Corey Clement this year, so we'll see if Shaw can capitalize on his high ranking and contribute right away.
McNamara: Have to go with the No. 5 tight end in the country and Rivals250 member with this one. Kyle Penniston, who is already attending classes at Wisconsin, gives head coach Paul Chryst an ideal target in the passing game with the ability to split wide or line up next to the tackle. With an extra camp under his belt, there's a good chance the four-star prospect, who also had offers from Florida State, Oklahoma and Miami, among many others, competes for time early in his career.
Most likely to play early
Gorman: With starters Derek Landisch and Marcus Trotter graduating, it should be a very entertaining battle at inside linebacker during fall camp. Enter Jordan Griffin, a three-star tackling machine from Armwood High School in Florida. While Nick Thomas, among other linebackers, could go here as well, Griffin was the most productive at the prep level, earning himself Max Preps First-Team All-American honors.
Veldhuis: There's definitely time available at linebacker, but the Badgers are also working with a lot of unproven commodities at tight end. Penniston is my pick because he's already on campus, which is a huge benefit for incoming freshmen. And while initially it might look like there are a lot of bodies in front of Penniston, Troy Fumagalli played well as a redshirt freshman, but Eric Steffes missed most of last year and T.J. Watt hasn't been able to stay healthy. With a good spring camp it's not hard to see Penniston moving up the ranks pretty quickly.
McNamara: I'll stay at linebacker but go with Nick Thomas, who is already enrolled at Wisconsin. The extra camp will be huge for the 6-foot-2, 230-pound backer, who was strongly considering a late offer from Nebraska before solidifying his pledge to UW. Leon Jacobs is expected to return at middle linebacker, but behind him there is little experience. Look for Thomas to immediately compete for time in the two-deep with D'Cota Dixon, T.J. Edwards and potentially Jack Cichy, who can play multiple linebacker spots.
The sleeper:
Gorman: Of all commits, Jon Dietzen seems to receive next to no publicity, which is understandable considering he is an early enrollee, never wavered in his commitment, is an in-state commit and plays a non-skill position. However, he is not someone to be slept on. Dietzen is huge at 6-foot-5 and 334 pounds like most Badger interior linemen, and with both guards graduating, there are snaps to be had at camp.
Veldhuis: Jon Gorman is right in that offensive linemen often get overlooked in favor of skill position players. I'll go with David Moorman here, because I think his recruitment would have gotten a lot more press if he hadn't picked the Badgers so early in the process. He picked up a few offers late in the process, especially after the coaching change, but I think he's a prospect the Badgers are going to be very happy they landed in the long run.
McNamara: Just a two-star prospect, Chris Orr is definitely someone who has the potential to play above his rating. A standout linebacker from DeSoto High School in Texas, Orr is the youngest from a strong lineage of football players that started with with Terry Orr, an eight-year NFL tight end. The oldest son, Terrance Orr, was a defensive back at Texas State. He was followed by Zach Orr, who played at North Texas and is currently with the Baltimore Ravens. Nick Orr recently completed his high school eligibility and is now a defensive back at TCU. Chris Orr is expected to play inside for the Badgers and the 6-foot, 210-pound prospect will be given the opportunity to play early when he arrives on campus.
Most needed:
Gorman: The quarterback combination of Joel Stave and Tanner McEvoy was underwhelming last year, to say the least. It allowed defenses to stack eight or even nine men in the box, and key on Gordon. The Heisman Trophy runner-up was good enough that you could put two defenses on the field and still get yards, but he is taking his talents to the next level. The Badgers cannot expect to keep up their potent offense attack without improvements at quarterback.
Enter Kafentzis, a dual-threat quarterback who holds just about every Utah prep record imaginable. Questions remain about the three-star prospect's arm talent, but he is very mobile and has all of the intangibles. While it may not be likely, it seems silly to rule him out of what should be an open QB competition.
Veldhuis: I agree that QB is always a huge need for the Badgers in every class, but if they're going to continue to run a 3-4 defense they need to sign a steady stream of defensive linemen, particularly ones who can play nose guard. That makes Olive Sagapolu a big get for them, especially since Elu Aydon followed Gary Andersen to Oregon State. Sagapolu already has great size for a 0-technique, and with a little seasoning he could be a force in the middle of Dave Aranda's defense down the line.
McNamara: Titus Booker, who made Wisconsin fans hold their breath after a late offer from Michigan, is arguably the most needed prospect in this class. Simply because cornerback is a difficult position to recruit for schools in the Midwest, a player of Booker's caliber is huge for this staff moving forward. UW will graduate four corners -- Darius Hillary, Devin Gaulden, Terrance Floyd and T.J. Reynard -- at the end of the 2015 season, meaning the three-star prospect from Illinois should have a chance to make an impact early in his career.
Best surprise:
Gorman: With most of his senior season marred by injury, most are sleeping on Andrew James. That would be a mistake. James is electric in the return game and with Kenzel Doe graduating, look for the three-star prospect and track star to contribute early. He has plenty of speed and agility to take any return to the house.
Veldhuis: It's a tie for me between hanging on to Kafentzis after Andersen left for Oregon State and Stevenson committing to the Badgers in the middle of their coaching search. Kafentzis was Wisconsin's first commit in this class and his family's relationship with Andersen was a huge factor in getting him to commit, so I seriously expected Kafentzis to look elsewhere after Andersen left. But the Badgers apparently recruited Kafentzis a little too well, and he decided to stay.
As for Stevenson, I'm not sure I've heard of a top-tier recruit committing to a school right after a coaching change. That shows you just how much Stevenson was attracted to Wisconsin as a school, and that Wisconsin's brand was in pretty good shape despite a second coaching change in three years.
McNamara: Late in the recruiting process, all signs pointed to Bradrick Shaw committing to Vanderbilt. But thanks in large part to running backs coach Thomas Brown, the Badgers were able to land a pledge from the four-star senior from powerhouse Hoover High School in Alabama. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound standout is the highest-rated player (No. 148) in the Badgers' 2015 and chose UW over offers from Minnesota, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Nebraska, Mississippi and N.C. State. Shaw and Stevenson form and awfully impressive one-two punch at tailback in Wisconsin's 2015 class.
Most underrated:
Gorman: Rated as only a two-star recruit by Rivals.com, look for Alec Ingold to play beyond his rating. Ingold played quarterback for his Bay Port (WI) team, but he should fit in nicely at linebacker for the Badgers. Ingold has excellent mobility for his size and was an accomplished wrestler in high school, showing great functional strength and agility.
Veldhuis: I'll go with Chris Orr here. There's some star power in this recruiting class at linebacker, but I think Orr's film and think he'll be a force for them on the inside. He hasn't gotten a lot of press in part because he's been committed to the Badgers for a while, but I think he's going to be an important part of this class when we take a look back at it in years to come.
McNamara: Zack Baun put up gaudy numbers as a quarterback this fall, but the three-star talent is expected to play linebacker for the Badgers. During his recruitment, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound in-state prospect only had a full offer from South Dakota State before he accepted a grayshirt from UW. That scholarship was recently bumped up to a full ride and Baun will bring athleticism to the outside linebacker position.
Prospects included in this reported were updated as of 2/3/15