Wisconsin's 2011 recruiting class was one of the strongest under then-head coach Bret Bielema, with just two players leaving the program prior to their senior year of eligibility. Assistant coach Joe Rudolph came up big in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and the class also produced the dominating backfield combination of Derek Watt and Melvin Gordon.

The first in a new series at BadgerBlitz.com, Publisher Jon McNamara provides a memory or two on each scholarship signees' recruitment in the 2011 class.

Note: Prospects are listed in the order of their commitment to UW.

Jake Keefer, who finished as No. 1 player in the state, a Rivals250 member and U.S. Army All-American Bowl participant, was the first in-state prospect Wisconsin offered in the 2011 class, along with Melvin Gordon. I remember how much emphasis Bielema put on those two early in the process, and for good reason. The son of a head coach in a small town, Keefer was a man amongst boys at the high school level. Arriving on campus at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, it would have been interesting to see how Keefer would have fit in a 3-4 defense at outside linebacker from the very start.

This one was pretty much a done deal as soon as Wisconsin offered in the spring of 2010. A UW legacy, Sam Arneson, who was also hearing from Iowa, Indiana and Northwestern, played quarterback as a senior in high school but transitioned into a tight end for the Badgers. He contributed as a true freshman and played in 50 career games with 18 starts.

I thought Austin Maly would have to earn his offer at Wisconsin's summer camp, much like fellow Waunakee standout Jake Irwin did a year prior (2009). But the Badgers, led by assistant coach Joe Rudolph, extended a scholarship a month before in May, an opportunity Maly jumped on. I liked the three-star prospect at camp that summer, but his career never really took off at UW.

"Maly worked all day alongside fellow Badger commits Sam Arneson and Eric Steffes. Maly is the purest pass-catcher of the group, making multiple catches down the field during the 7-on-7 period. During drills, he showed good ability to turn his body and catch a less than perfect pass. He still has some work to do on his overall strength and explosiveness, but his performance during the 7-on-7 period shows he has some big play potential down the field."

I remember watching from the stands at camp that summer (2010) and observing Derek Landisch (who had some Chris Borland in him) work for then-linebackers coach Dave Doeren. As camp progressed, it was pretty evident that Landisch, who flew a bit under the recruiting radar, was going to earn an offer from the Badgers. That proved to be true, and the in-state standout from powerhouse Arrowhead High School committed soon after.