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 2020 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.
Wisconsin has built up a good amount of talent at receiver over the last handful of classes, so much so that the staff was able to sign just one scholarship athlete (Stephan Bracey) at the position in 2019. And with A.J. Taylor expected to be the lone senior on the current roster, the number is expected to be small again in the 2020 cycle.
Class of 2020 WR needs: 2 | Class of 2020 WR commits: 1
A three-star prospect, Chimere Dike, who also had a scholarship from Iowa State, picked up an offer from Wisconsin during an unofficial visit in December. That trip and conversation with Paul Chryst, according to Waukesha North head coach Matt Harris, produced an early commitment.
"I think it's always been a dream of his - if Wisconsin offered it was going to be his place," 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."
