OL Joe Brunner sees 'a chance to do something very special' at Wisconsin

Joe Brunner, one of Wisconsin's top overall targets in the 2022 recruiting class, informed the UW coaching staff of his decision earlier this week.

The news was so big, the Badgers needed to hear it twice.

"They were pumped - they had to ask me if I just committed because I don't think they believed it at first," Brunner told BadgerBlitz.com on Tuesday. "They were screaming and I was screaming, and we were all getting pretty hyped."

Wisconsin, which offered the four-star prospect during an unofficial visit in September of 2019, sealed the deal during an official trip earlier this month. The Rivals100 prospect is commit No. 9 for UW in the senior cycle.

"I committed to the Wisconsin Badgers and I think as soon as I stepped on that campus for my official visit, I think I knew right from the start," Brunner said. "One thing that really struck me was the guys in the offensive line room and how they make you feel when you're around them.

"They didn't make me feel like I was a recruit, they made me feel like I was part of that team already. And that helps a lot because you're spending 99 percent of your time with them. So that was huge."

During the course of his recruitment - a process Brunner admitted was stressful from start to finish - the 6-foot-6, 305-pound tackle collected offers from some of the top programs in the country. In June he took official visits to Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Ohio State, and the Badgers weren't always the leader in the clubhouse.

"Wisconsin actually wasn't always at the top for me," Brunner, the No. 8 tackle in the country, said. "At one point, I think Notre Dame was in the lead for a good chunk of time. I started to build a strong relationship with their coaching staff and I didn't really talk to Wisconsin as much. But then Wisconsin started to pick it up and, trust me, it was hard not being able to get to the campus. So I'm glad I got to do that because it really opened my eyes. Wisconsin definitely was not always in the lead.

"I was definitely stressed out with the recruiting process and I am very relieved that it's over now. I can relax and enjoy my senior season. I'm very happy with the decision that I've made."

Wisconsin preached how special it is for in-state prospects to stay inside the state. And who better to deliver that message than Joe Thomas, who connected with Brunner a few times during his recruitment.

"Staying inside the state was big for me, especially this year because we have a chance to bring one of the greatest in-state classes into Wisconsin," Brunner said. "Me, Barrett (Nelson), Billy (Schrauth) and Carson (Hinzman), if they want to come with me to Wisconsin, it could be the best offensive line class in the country, I think. We could do something real special.

"For people like Joe Thomas talking to you, it's kind of amazing, because he's considered one of the best of all time. He's my favorite player of all time, so that was cool to get some insight from him and how he feels about Wisconsin. It really put it into perspective for me as an in-state offensive lineman."

Brunner didn't hesitate when asked about his desire to help finish this class for the Badgers. Hinzman and Schrauth can expect plenty of calls, texts and other forms of communication until they're ready to decide.

"Now that I've put it out there, I'm going to be in their ears every day," Brunner said. "I know that if we can get those two guys and pair them with the class ahead of us, we have a chance to do something very special and that's win a national championship. I'm going to be in their ear every single day and every chance that I get.

"Getting them to join us would be pretty special."