Positional recruit snapshot: Defensive linemen
We have reached the midpoint of summer and Wisconsin's 2017 recruiting class is nearly completed. The Badgers have 10 current scholarship commitments to date - plus two more preferred walk-ons - and have set up their board to land a possible top 25 national class.
Over the next two weeks BadgerBlitz.com will be bringing you snapshots for each recruited position covering the targets who are left as legitimate prospects on Wisconsin's board. We will discuss the remaining 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. These positional snapshots are meant to give the lay of the land as fall camp for the 2016 season is quickly approaching.
Class of 2017 defensive line needs: 2/3
Class of 2017 defensive line commits: 2
After picking up an offer at Wisconsin's junior day, Aaron Vopal committed to the Badgers in late January and became the second pledge in the 2017 class. A 6-foot-8, 280-pound prospect, Vopal will begin as a defensive end in UW's 3-4 scheme.
"I think he could play on either side of the ball," Chad Michalkiewicz, Vopal's coach at De Pere High School, told BadgerBlitz.com. "With his basketball background, he competes on a very good AAU team and also for a good varsity team here at school since his freshman year. He has exceptional foot speed and hip movement; great lateral movement. So you couple that with frame, he's going to be able to carry his weight better than your average 6-foot-6 kid.
"Offensive line sounds like a no-brainer because of his height and the prototypical big body up front that Wisconsin's known for, but I think when you peel the layers back and look at what he can do laterally and with his explosion and wing span, he projects very well at defensive end. Will he eclipse 300 pounds? I don't know, but I definitely see him playing at 290 pounds and maintaining that athletic ability. He's going to be a big boy and he'll carry that weight really well."
The staff also received a huge commitment from in-state lineman Matt Henningsen, who turned down scholarship money from Buffalo, Illinois State, North Dakota, Northern Illinois and South Dakota in order to walk on at Wisconsin. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound senior from Menomonee Falls will begin as a defensive tackle for the Badgers.
"My parents and three older brothers all went to Wisconsin and it has been a dream of mine to go to Wisconsin since I was five years old," Henningsen told BadgerBlitz.com. "After visiting many times in the fall and then being there for a visit this past Friday, I knew it was the place for me because of the tradition, fantastic academic opportunities and people within the program.
"Honestly, it was a lot to think about and consider. I had many choices of scholarships to very successful football programs, but whenever I am in Madison, it feels like home. So, almost immediately after the visit on Friday, I knew that Wisconsin is where I want to spend the next chapter of my life."
Who's come off the board?
With a very early commitment from Vopal and limited spots on the defensive line, the staff was pretty selective with offers in the 2017 class. A.J. Epenesa (Iowa), Alex King (Kentucky), Luiji Vilain (Michigan) and Robert Beal (Georgia), however, all committed to other schools during the process.
Most promising candidates:
Wisconsin is likely done on the defensive line in 2017 but if there is room, George Ellis is the prospect to keep an eye on. The three-star defensive tackle from American Heritage High School in Florida is teammates with three-star linebacker James Houston, likely the top remaining target on the Badgers' recruiting board. Look for both to visit officially this fall.
Long shots:
Due to scholarship constraints, there may not truly be any "long shots" as the staff focuses in on just a handful of prospects. But four-star Donovan Jeter could fall in this category, as well as junior college defensive end Andrew Van Ginkel, who recently picked up an offer from UW. Chase Young, Chester Graves, Brad Johnson, Joshua Paschal, Terrance Lang and Fred Hansard all have offers from Wisconsin but aren't realistic options at this point as well.