Official Visitor Preview: 2020 commits headed to Madison

The second of three big official visit weekends is set to kick off Friday in Madison for the Wisconsin coaching staff. And while eight of the prospects expected on campus have already pledged to the Badgers, there are also two big uncommitted recruits headed to campus.

Following is a preview of what to expect this weekend as Wisconsin looks to fill the remaining spots in its 2020 class.

Top 4: Ohio State, Wisconsin, Georgia and Alabama

The Word: From a list of 30-plus schools, Cam Large has narrowed his focus to just four. The three-star prospect is coming off an official visit to Alabama, with a trip to Ohio State set to follow his stop at UW this weekend. This will be Large's second visit to Madison.

"I was able to tour the facilities, meet some of the guys on the team and talk a lot one-on-one with Coach (Mickey) Turner and Coach (Paul) Chryst," Large told BadgerBlitz.com in March. "I was also able to see a basketball game.

"I loved the facilities. I was expecting top-notch stuff but was still blown away."

Prior to Large's top four release, Rivals.com's Adam Friedman wrote that the Badgers and Buckeyes were doing the best in his recruitment.

Offers: Boston College, Duke, Georgia Tech, Houston, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana-Monroe, Nebraska, Penn State, Southern Miss and Wisconsin

The word: A new addition to Wisconsin's official visitor list, Parker Washington has been in close contact with Badgers' assistant coach Ted Gilmore. The four-star prospect is coming off an official visit to Penn State, with Duke, Nebraska and Texas A&M, among others, also heavily involved in his recruitment.

"It's a pretty big (relationship)," Washington told Rivals.com. "Coach Gilmore and I talk a lot. He always wants to get on the phone and get together and talk about plans in how he sees me fitting in at Wisconsin. Wisconsin is different and definitely academically based like most of the schools I look at, and Coach Gilmore always wants to stay in touch."

Chose Wisconsin over offers from: Michigan

Quick recruiting recap: Jack Nelson took an unofficial visit to Wisconsin in the fall of 2017, where he became the first in-state prospect in the 2020 class to earn an offer from the Badgers. And shortly after the Vikings' season ended, Nelson became commit No. 1 for Wisconsin in the 2020 cycle.

Quote: "I think with the success that our team was having this year, Jack got invited to a Badger game and that got the coaches reaching out and watching his film," Stoughton head coach Dan Prahl told BadgerBlitz.com in September of 2017. "They really liked what they saw there. After he took that visit, they were really impressed with his size - he's about 6-foot-6, close to 6-foot-7 and 245 pounds as a sophomore. Wisconsin loves their big, tall linemen who they can put weight on, so I think that was big for them.

"Jack, obviously with his dad having played there, grew up going to a lot of Badger games, so it was a no-brainer for him. That's where he's always wanted to play college football. Once they offered, it was pretty much a done deal."

Chose Wisconsin over offers from: Georgia, Iowa State, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Tennessee and USC

Quick recruiting recap: A Rivals100 prospect and the No. 1 ranked in-state recruit in the 2020 class, Trey Wedig's recruitment ultimately came down to the Badgers and Irish. He committed to Wisconsin during an unofficial visit last September.

Quote: "I think it was relationships more than anything," Kettle Moraine head coach Justin Gumm told BadgerBlitz.com. "I think the whole time it was really a two-horse race even though he had all the offers that he did. He really liked Notre Dame and he really liked Wisconsin. With Notre Dame, the big draw there is obviously the academic side of things, the networking, resources and prestige.

"But in the end it was the relationships that he built with Wisconsin and the coaching staff. Their consistency and how adamant they were about him being a Badger really stood out. Their staff has been phenomenal with our staff and our kids. They are very genuine and Trey felt they cared about him as a human being and not just a football player."

Chose Wisconsin over offers from: Boston College, Cincinnati, Duke, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue, Vanderbilt, West Virginia and Western Michigan

Quick recruiting recap: Just hours after an unofficial visit in October, Dylan Barrett, a projected interior lineman, committed to the Badgers. At the time, the three-star prospect was pledge No. 3 for Wisconsin, along with fellow offensive linemen Jack Nelson and Trey Wedig.

Quote: "His original timeline was to let this year's recruiting season wrap up and go from there." Bryce Farquhar, the head coach at St. Charles East, told BadgerBlitz.com. "In my conversations with Dylan, we just talked about finding a school that fit you socially, academically and athletically. He felt like he found that and didn't want to miss out on an opportunity to go to the University of Wisconsin. Dylan felt that if there was one offer that he didn't want to let go away, it was Wisconsin.

"Dylan got a feel for a lot of programs and a lot of people because of the amount of schools he visited. But it really was that visit this past weekend and seeing a game day at Wisconsin that sealed the deal for him."

Chose Wisconsin over offers from: Iowa and South Dakota State

Quick recruiting recap: This was a battle between Wisconsin and Iowa for two-way lineman Ben Barten, who is expected to play on the offensive line for the Badgers. In the end, UW was able to keep the in-state prospect home during Stratford's playoff push last fall.

Quote: "Ben went down there for Wisconsin's camp two weeks in a row - one for offense and one for defense," Stratford head coach Jason Tubbs told BadgerBlitz.com. 'He did really well against their 2019 recruits and it kind of went from there. I don't think he's done growing, to be honest with you. His dad is 6-foot-6 and Ben is 6-foot-5 and doesn't shave a lot. To me, he's already a solid 255 pounds and I could see him getting up to 305, or so. He reminds of the big, strong kids who end up at Wisconsin. And he's not a heavy-set kid who is 300 pounds in high school. He's got a great frame to add more good weight.

"With the other schools, it was more of a 'come-out-and-see-us'-type of interest. None of those programs were in our building just yet. North Dakota State and South Dakota State were also in to see Ben, but it was really Wisconsin and Iowa for most of the way."

Chose Wisconsin over offers from: Iowa State

Quick recruiting recap: Chimere Dike, who had 79 receptions for 1,091 yards and 12 touchdowns in nine games this past fall, made a quick commitment after a scholarship offer in January. Ohio State, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Nebraska, Michigan State and Iowa, among others, were also in contact at the time.

Quote: "I think it's always been a dream of his - if Wisconsin offered it was going to be his place," North head coach Matt Harris told BadgerBlitz.com. "The recruiting process was tough for him because he got invited to so many places, but a lot of schools were taking their time. There were a lot of schools that he really liked, but having known him since seventh grade, Wisconsin was home. And once he heard, 'Hey, we want you at Wisconsin,' that pretty much sealed the deal. It was hard to let the other schools know because he's such a wonderful kid, but he had to let some schools down. It's a business decision and he made the best decision for him and his family.

"Chimere is a great football player, but there are tons of great football players out there. So once Coach Chyrst got to know him, he found out that Chimere is what being a Badger is all about. He has great grades, a great personality and is a leader for us, so he has all the character things you're looking for. I told Coach Chryst that everyone thinks their kids are great, but I want you to see for yourself. So he came to basketball practices and games and he saw those qualities in person. I think that's what swayed their decision and made them move in the direction that they did. You don't find characters like Chimere too often. He has been a culture-changer for us. I think that was more important to them than 1,000 yards and however many catches he had. He's just a great person."

Chose Wisconsin over offers from: UW was the first school to offer

Quick recruiting recap: After not playing football as a freshman and sophomore, Cole Dakovich began to attract attention this fall from a handful of schools across the Midwest. Wisconsin offered during an unofficial visit in January and locked up his commitment soon after. Dakovich, who had 105 total tackles, two sacks and two interceptions for the state champion Crusaders, could also play tight end or grow into a defensive end at the next level.

Quote: "In the spring or early summer, we heard that Cole was thinking about coming out. I knew he was a very talented basketball player and I was interested to see what he could do with his size," Catholic Memorial defensive coordinator Mike Kinateder told BadgerBlitz.com. "As we had our workouts and summer camps, we were pretty excited with the potential that he had. You could tell that he was a hard worker and very coachable. He embraced the role we put him in and he turned into a great player and great teammate.

"His length and size is just so disruptive and it allowed us to do a lot of different things. He uses his hands really well, sheds blockers and he made some plays we traditionally weren't able to make at that position. To have a high school linebacker at size who can move the way he does is pretty rare.

"From a defensive perspective I think he was pretty solid for us. In certain situations he could probably be more physical. But for only playing one year of football, he's way ahead of where we project our juniors to be. Otherwise, he was just a really solid player for us. He's really smart, so there weren't many mental mistakes for him. He just needs to continue to grow and get more comfortable as a football player."

Chose Wisconsin over offers from: Air Force, Central Michigan, Columbia, Dartmouth, Eastern Kentucky, Fordham, Harvard, Illinois State, Iowa, Miami (FL), North Dakota, North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Southwest Minnesota State, Syracuse, Temple, Western Michigan and Yale

Quick recruiting recap: Tanor Bortolini quietly added offers all off-season before his recruitment really took off in late May. In a matter of a few days, the two-star offensive lineman picked up scholarships from Wisconsin, Iowa and Miami. Shortly after, the Badgers got Bortolini on campus and locked up his commitment.

Quote: "Talking to the coaches and knowing Tanor, they really like how athletic he was," Kewaunee High School head coach Randy Charles told BadgerBlitz.com. "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."

Chose Wisconsin over offers from: Illinois State, North Dakota and South Dakota

Quick recruiting recap: After a strong camp performance at the start of the month, Cade McDonald landed an offer from the in-state Badgers. And just days later, the three-star prospect became commit No. 8 for UW in the 2020 class.

Quote: "One part of Cade receiving this attention right now is the development of his body, and another part is that he's a humble kid," Neil Hatfield, Hudson's defensive coordinator, told BadgerBlitz.com. "He's not going to blow up social media with the stuff he's accomplished or anything like that. He's lets his actions speak. When he gets in front of people, he is really a kind and gentle person. So it may take a while for people to see his drive and competitive nature, which is extremely high. He has a very high motor and there's definitely a sense of urgency with him to get better. His ability to pay attention to what mattered most - school, being a good teammate - maybe kept him off the radar.

"His best football is ahead of him. The things you can measure at a camp, he did all that. But I think they started to see things that you can't really measure. With Cade, his work ethic is off the charts. He's a meticulous person and it's scary to how similar he is to (former Hudson offensive linemen) Eric Vanden Heuvel and Kraig Urbik, who both played for the Badgers. All of them are 6-foot-6 and bigger and all of them were good students with great work ethics."