Over the next two weeks, BadgerBlitz.com will be bringing you snapshots for each recruited position, covering the targets who are legitimate prospects on Wisconsin's board in the 2019 class. We will discuss the candidates who are most interested in the Badgers, as well as those who are considered long shots to commit to UW.
As always, this is just a snapshot in time and things remain fluid. Additional offered targets will appear over the next few months and some recruits will inevitably choose other colleges.
Today, we continue with a look at the wide receivers.
Quick Position Breakdown
Receivers coach Ted Gilmore is overseeing one of the deepest and most talented position groups on the current roster. Wisconsin inked four receivers in the 2018 class, two of which - Taj Mustapha and Aron Cruickshank - just completed very productive spring camps as early enrollees. The Badgers' top four receivers from 2017 - Quintez Cephus, A.J. Taylor, Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor - all return, meaning expectations are sky-high this fall. That said, UW is likely set in the 2019 class with commitments from Nolan Groulx and Marcus Graham.
Class of 2019 wide receiver needs: 2 | Class of 2019 wide receiver commits: 2
At 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Nolan Groulx, who committed to Wisconsin in January, would appear to be a true slot receiver for the Badgers when he arrives on campus. But the plan right now, according to the three-star prospect, is to work at multiple spots and play a role similar to that of junior receiver A.J. Taylor.
"They think I can bring a different dimension to the offense, which I really liked," Groulx told BadgerBlitz.com. "Coach (Ted) Gilmore sees me playing in both the slot and on the outside, which is pretty cool. They want me to do some jet sweeps like they do with A.J. Taylor right now."
At the high school level, Groulx, who had 1,101 receiving yards and eight touchdowns as a junior, is moved all over the field.
"Christian McCafferty is big around our parts right now, obviously, so that's someone that everyone equates Nolan to with us," Groulx's high school coach, Matt Jenkins, told BadgerBlitz.com. "We don't put him at tailback and run between the tackles, but we do run him out of the backfield in outside zone, jet sweeps, swings passes and screens. And then he has the ability to go and play in the slot and outside because he's so good at running routes and being physical at the point of attack.
"He's very quick laterally and he has great explosion vertically. He's really quick, and his first six or seven yards off the ball are as fast as anyone. As a route runner in the slot, I think that separates the good ones from the great ones, the ability to separate from contact, and Nolan has that. He's a utility guy who does a little bit of everything."
As with other commits in Wisconsin's 2019 class, Groulx is still hearing from a handful of other programs. Georgia, Stanford, Wake Forest and Tennessee, among others, have been in recent contact.
