Recruiting tales: Vince Biegel
MADISON -- Vince Biegel had a number of scholarships to choose from during his recruitment at Wisconsin Rapids High School.
Advertisement
But in the end, it came down to Wisconsin, the in-state university, and BYU, where his father, Rocky, and uncle, T.D., both played. Rocky was a linebacker from 1988-92 and T.D. played fullback for the Cougars from 1989-93.
"I had a great recruiting experience and I was highly recruited by a lot of different universities, such as Wisconsin, BYU and Michigan, to name a few," Biegel told BadgerBlitz.com. "Overall it was a great experience. I had a lot of great memories and met a lot of great people. I was extremely blessed to have so many great coaches and people be part of that process.
"BYU was definitely a school I was heavily involved with. They had a great staff and coach (Bronco) Mendenhall was a great guy. It was a hard decision. Both my dad and my uncle played at BYU and that factored in, but I'm very happy with how things worked out. I know this is the place I need to be."
Biegel, 6-foot-4, 244 pounds, ended up committing to the Badgers during the spring game in 2011. He also had the unique opportunity of competing in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in January of 2012.
"The U.S. Army All-American game was a blast," said Biegel, a projected starter for Wisconsin at outside linebacker this fall. "I met a lot of great players and a lot of great people. I still talk to some of the guys on the team like T.J. Yeldon and a few other guys. It was just filled with great guys and it's fun to follow their careers. I hope to stay in contact with a lot of them."
A very active recruitment was also beneficial for Biegel's younger brother, Hayden Biegel, who signed with the Badgers in the 2013 recruiting class.
"Hayden went through a little different of a process because he saw a lot of the stuff I went through and was also talking to some of the same schools," Vince Biegel said. "He made a quicker decision and that was best for him.
"With us being so close in age, I think it was good for him to see the process and talk to me about things. It's great to have him here with me at Wisconsin and I think we both made the best choice."
Biegel, who led Rapids to the WIAA Division 1 state title game in 2011, is involved in on-campus for recruiting for the Badgers.
"We have a lot of recruits who come in and check out the school and I'm definitely involved with that," said Biegel, who has hosted by tight end Sam Arneson during his official visit to UW. "It's an important process. When I was getting recruited, I wanted to see what the players were like and I wanted to see what the team bonding was all about, how their attitudes were. When recruits come to campus, I want to show them the same experience that I had. I think at the end of the day that helps.
"If I were giving advice I'd tell a kid to enjoy the process and meet some people. As you can see, the chain of coaches goes around and around, so the people at the school you pick are important. I'd also encourage them to check out as many schools as possible. That's something that you'll always look back on."
Wisconsin opens the 2014 season on Aug. 30 against LSU in Houston.
Click Here to view this video.