Positional recruit snapshot: 2021 running backs

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 2021 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 an early look at the running backs.

QBs |

Wisconsin is still waiting on decisions from Jalen Berger and Kevontre Bradford in the 2020 class. With that, we'll know more about the future of the tailback position in February during the late signing period. On the current roster, Bradrick Shaw and, almost certainly, Jonathan Taylor will play their final game at UW in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. Garrett Groshek is expected to return as the veteran of tailback group that also includes Nakia Watson, Hunter Johnson, Isaac Guerendo, Brady Schipper and Julius Davis. At fullback, all three players from the current group - Mason Stokke, John Chenal and Quan Easterling - are expected back this spring.

Wisconsin secured an early commitment from in-state tailback Loyal Crawford in August. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound junior was also hearing from Iowa, Northern Illinois, North Dakota, North Dakota State, South Dakota, South Dakota State and Illinois State at the time of his commitment.

"I first met Loyal when he got done with 8th grade when he came in to lift in the summer," head coach Mike Sinz told BadgerBlitz.com. "He was so explosive, so fast and he was lifting with our upperclassmen - kids that were three or four years older than him. Right away you knew he was a gifted kid and he's starting to put it all together.

"He had the collarbone injury last year and he'll be a huge piece of the puzzle for us. He's our guy on offense and he is, in my opinion, one of the best kids in the state. And with my growing up following high school football really closely, he's probably the best football player I've ever been around. He's that talented."