Recruiting Anniversary: Chris Borland, Travis Frederick and Michael Deiter

The extended recruiting dead period hasn’t put in a dent in Wisconsin’s ability to land some high-powered talent to its 2021 recruiting class. Since things went on hiatus in mid-March, the Badgers have landed five recruits that fit major areas of need. It’s a run of success that has helped Wisconsin overcome the cancelation of all of summer football camps because of COVID-19.

The month of June was a big month for the University of Wisconsin with its high school three-day and one-day camps, getting a chance to work out and visit with some of their top recruiting targets. It also afforded under-the-radar targets the chance to get noticed by the Badgers staff and earn a scholarship. Without those camps, Wisconsin may never have found three key pieces to its program who went on to get drafted in the NFL.

In this latest edition of recruiting anniversaries, we look back 12 years at the commitment of linebacker Chris Borland and offensive lineman Travis Frederick, and seven years at the commitment of Michael Deiter.

The University of Wisconsin 2009 class started strong and the success came from in-state. Within a 48-hour window in February, then-head coach Bret Bielema got commitments from four-star prospects Jordan Kohout and Shelby Harris and three-star lineman Ryan Groy. UW added to that in May with the commitment of top quarterback target Jon Budmayr and picked up a mid-June commitment from Michigan offensive lineman Zac Matthias.and landed tailback Montee Ball on June 23.

The 2014 class was the first full class for head coach Gary Andersen. Having already inherited the commitments of offensive linemen George Panos and Jaden Gault, Andersen landed May commitments from in-state defensive end Billy Hirschfeld and Utah athlete Ula Tolutau heading into camp season.

Borland was not nationally ranked by Rivals.com and had no offers when he committed. Frederick was rated the No. 83 offensive tackle in the country and picked the Badgers over offers from Air Force, Navy and North Dakota State. Deiter was the No. 68 player in Ohio by Rivals.com and picked UW over offers from Bowling Green, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Nebraska, West Virginia and others.

Even before the recruiting process started, Borland had a good idea that Wisconsin was where he wanted to play his college football. His dad grew up in Madison, which translated into Borland having many family and friends in the state. Saturdays were spent around the television watching and rooting for the Badgers.

Borland came to UW’s camp willing to do anything to grab the attention of the coaches. Attending a three-day session, Borland worked extensively at linebacker but stayed after practice to punt one day, kick field goals the next and catch passes the last. For a player who punted, served as the backup kicker and play on offense for his high school, it was no sweat. For the UW coaches, seeing a linebacker boot 50-yard punts, hit medium-range field goals and catch deep passes one-handed, the staff knew they had something. Borland was offered a scholarship after the camp and quickly committed on June 24.

Sketching out his summer schedule, Frederick highlighted June 14 through the 24th, knowing that a stretch of camps would make or break his recruiting. On stops in Minneapolis, Fargo, N.D., Madison and Iowa City, Frederick got the response he was looking for. More importantly, he picked up some things camping with the Gophers and Bison that helped him impressed then-offensive line coach Bob Bostad.

Offered by Bielema on June 23, Frederick returned later that week to go on an unofficial visit. On June 26, he committed to the program.

At 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, Deiter fit the bill of what makes a successful, and traditional, Wisconsin offensive lineman. Maybe that’s why he has always viewed the Badgers in such high regard and why the Badgers coaching staff – despite their unfamiliarity with UW’s traditions – really liked Deiter. Spending a lot of time with then-offensive line coach T.J. Woods, then-tight end coach Jeff Genyk and Andersen on an April visit, Deiter left UW’s spring game with a scholarship offer that had a catch to it, he had to come to camp and prove himself before the Badgers coaching would accept his commitment.

Working with Woods and former UW offensive lineman Josh Oglesby at camp, Deiter was a superior talent despite only being allowed to wear a helmet and sweats (Ohio high school football rules). That workout and the conversations thereafter convinced him to commit to the program on June 24.

“I think it’s a great place. It’s a good school with good academics. Camp Randall would be a blast to play at. All those things make Wisconsin stand out.” - Borland

“I am extremely confident that I made the right decision and that is going to benefit me the rest of my life. I am extremely confident in the university and their athletics and I am very excited to be there for at least the next four years.” - Frederick

“I couldn’t find another school that could compare to Wisconsin. Nebraska came close, but I really wanted to go to Wisconsin. The coaching staff said I would have a good chance to compete for a starting job. I might very well get a spot if I come ready.” - Deiter

“Coach Bielema said that I am a natural athlete and I worked out at multiple positions during camp. Originally, I was being recruited as a linebacker but now I am being recruited as an athlete. I played at punter, running back, wide receiver, fullback, linebacker and safety. I don’t know if they know where they are going to use me, but I think my versatility played a big part in getting the offer.” - Borland

“Coach Bostad told me that I am a guard because of the way I am built. He sees me as a strong, solid guy that goes in there and runs people over and that I use that to my advantage. He says that I have good feet and that’s what he needs on the line.” - Frederick

"Michael Deiter was an elite hockey player and he had to either give up football to concentrate on hockey or give up hockey and concentrate on football. One of the schools that came in early asked what kind of balance Michael had and I told them, the kid never falls down. You have a 16-year-old kid who is 300 pounds and runs a 5.2 40 (yard dash) and he's always in control of his body.

"Hockey has helped him so much and I remember Michael saying to that coach, 'I learned how to fight on ice skates, you should see me in cleats.'” - Genoa (OH) head coach Tim Spiess to Rivals.com

Borland became a star and a fan favorite at the middle linebacker position. He played in 53 career games over five seasons (he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the third game of 2010) finished career ranked sixth all-time at Wisconsin in total tackles (420), fifth in solo tackles (234), fourth in tackles for loss (50.0) and tied for eighth in sacks (17). Borland set a Big Ten record with 15 forced fumbles in his career, the second-most in FBS history and recorded three straight 100-tackle seasons from 2011-13. In his senior season of 2013, he became the first UW linebacker to earn first-team All-America honors since Hal Faverty in 1951. He was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2009, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Linebacker of the Year in 2013 and a five-team conference defensive player of the week.

In three years at Wisconsin, Frederick started 18 games at center (including all 14 during 2012) and 13 at left guard. He became the first true freshman offensive lineman to start a season opener in 2009, named a consensus second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2011 and a first-team selection in 2012. A team captain his junior season, Frederick was a key cog to Wisconsin’s rushing attack on the 2011 and 2012 Big Ten championship teams.

After redshirting in 2014, Deiter jumped right into the mix and started all 13 games in 2015, bouncing between center and left guard on a unit that used seven different starting combinations. As it turns out, Deiter never missed a start in his four seasons. Starting a school-record 54 games (second-most among Big Ten players), Deiter played 24 games at left guard, 16 games at center and 54 at left tackle. He was part of a senior class that went 42-18 (.778), including 27-8 (.771) in Big Ten play and 4-0 in bowl games. A second-team All-American at an unfamiliar left tackle position, Dieter was a first-team All-American at left guard in 2018.

The 77th pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Borland played in 14 games (eight starts) for the San Francisco 49ers his rookie season and delivered 108 tackles, one sack and two interceptions. In an overtime victory over New Orleans, Borland recorded 17 tackles and recovered an overtime fumble to help him earn NFL Rookie of the Week honors. A week later, he was named NFC Defensive Player of the Year when he became the first rookie linebacker in the long history of the 49ers to interception two passes in a game. He was named NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Month in November.

However, Borland is most known for his decision the following March, announcing his retirement from the NFL after one season due to his concerns of suffering a debilitating head trauma.

Selected in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Frederick, who was named the starter from the early onset, became the first rookie to start every game at center and be selected to the NFL All-Rookie team. After being named to Pro Bowls after his second and third year, Frederick signed a six-year, $56.4 million contract extension to become the highest-paid center in the league. Frederick made Pro Bowls in 2015 and 2016, including being a first-team All-Pro in 2016.

Frederick’s life changed in 2018 when he announced he had Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that attacks the immune system by taking away basic motor skills. He sat out the entire 2018 season as he learned how to walk again, lift weights and play football again. Therefore, the fact that Frederick played over 1,000 snaps and never missed a game last season was an impressive achievement.

Not for Frederick, however, as the 29-year-old center decided that he had accomplished all that he wanted to as a football player. He shocked the football world when he announced his retirement this past March, leaving $32 million on the table.

Deiter was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round, 78th overall, in the 2019 NFL Draft. He played in 16 games last season with 15 starts.

Who knows what would have happened in the recruitment of these three players had Wisconsin not held high school summer camps? There’s a good chance Deiter and Frederick would still have been seen up close by the staff, but Borland probably doesn’t get noticed by the Badgers and goes on to play for someone else. That goes to show how tough not having the exposure this season hurts the school and the players.

There were other players who committed around the same dates that could have been included in this piece but none compare to three high-character individuals who developed into key pieces of Wisconsin’s success, high draft picks and NFL success stories for the program.