As we count down the days before the start of fall camp, BadgerBlitz.com takes a look back at the four- and five-star signees during the Rivals.com era. How did they fare in Madison and how have the Badgers recruited each position when it comes to high-end talent?
Today, we examine how Wisconsin has done at linebacker over the last 20 years.
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Recruitment: Junior college linebacker Alex Lewis, who played his prep ball in New Jersey, chose Wisconsin over offers from Maryland, Syracuse and West Virginia. During his second season at SUNY-Morrisville, Lewis had 101 tackles, 32 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, two interceptions for touchdowns and several blocked kicks.
“There were a lot of schools that were getting involved with him, but he didn’t have a chance to visit any of them yet,” Lewis' head coach, Terry Dow, told BadgerBlitz.com. “Wisconsin just did a great job recruiting him. They had coaches out here seeing him, they came to one of our games and saw him play, and they got him out there early for a visit. The rest is history. He fell in love with the place when he was out there. He’s very happy.”
Career: Lewis played in 27 career games with 23 starts at Wisconsin. As a senior, he was an All-Big Ten first-team pick by the league's coaches. He was drafted by Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft.
Recruitment: During his time at Iowa, then-assistant coach Bret Bielema earned a commitment from Florida linebacker Abdul Hodge. And in the 2005 class at UW, Bielema got the younger brother, Elijah Hodge, to pledge to Wisconsin. During his recruitment, Hodge had offers from Iowa, Ohio State, Rutgers and North Carolina State, among others.
Career: Hodge played in 35 games for Wisconsin, including 11 starts as a sophomore, but knee issues plagued his career. After losing his starting job, the former four-star prospect transferred to Northern Iowa in the summer of 2009 for his final year of eligibility.
Recruitment: All-American Bowl participant Vince Biegel was heavily recruited out of high school, particularly from BYU, where his father, Rocky, played. The 2011 Gatorade State Player of the Year in Wisconsin also had offers from Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Stanford and Tennessee, among others.
Career: Biegel, a multi-year starter at outside linebacker, had a very good career at Wisconsin. He matched a school record by playing in 54 games, including 40 starts, and finished his time in Madison ranked No. 7 all-time with 21.5 sacks. Biegel was drafted by Green Bay in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Recruitment: Just before Signing Day in 2016, Noah Burks received a big ratings bump after a strong performance at the Semper Fedelis All-American game. During his recruitment, Burks picked the Badgers over offers from Boston College, Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois and Maryland, among others.
"It feels fantastic. I know I wanted be a Wisconsin Badger and I just felt like it was time to make a decision," Burks told BadgerBlitz.com. "Wisconsin has given me a special feeling in my heart ever since I visited. It just felt like I could call it home for the next four years when I committed. I have a great relationship with the coaching staff and love the way the players get after it and the blue-collar mentality they bring."
Career: Burks, who started all seven games in 2020, has appeared in 42 contests, including 20 starts, during his career in Madison. He elected to return for a sixth season and is expected to open fall camp as a starter at outside linebacker in 2021.
Recruitment: One of Wisconsin's top overall targets in the 2018 class, regardless of position, Jack Sanborn chose the Badgers over Duke, Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, Northwestern and Vanderbilt, among others, with strong interest coming from Ohio State and Michigan.
"Wisconsin has everything to offer," Sanborn told Rivals.com. "I believe I can't go wrong there. They have the academics, great football, the campus is amazing and I feel comfortable there with all the coaches and players."
Career: Sanborn played as a true freshman and started the past two seasons at Wisconsin. Entering his fourth year with the program, Sanborn, who had 21 quarterback pressures, 52 tackles, one forced fumble and one interception in 2020, is arguably the top returning inside linebacker in the Big Ten this fall.
Recruitment: Spencer Lytle was one of the biggest "gets" for Wisconsin during the Paul Chryst era. From a scholarship list that included well over 40 programs, Lytle narrowed his focus that summer to two universities: Wisconsin and Clemson. And from that final two, the Badgers came out on top for the four-star prospect from Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco.
"It was an extremely tough decision," Lytle told BadgerBlitz.com. "I really loved both programs. Wisconsin just felt like the right fit overall. Coach (Bobby) April recently coming from the league and Coach (Jim) Leonhard’s story from walking on to his years in the NFL. I felt the combination of both coaches will help me pursue my dream of playing in the league, attaining a highly respected business degree and winning a few championships along the way."
Career: Lytle redshirted in 2019 and played in five games with two tackles last fall. In 2021, he's expected to compete for time in the two-deep at outside linebacker.
"He came in as a mid-year and actually showed up as a good player early," April said this spring. "His first camp when we came back, you’re excited about what we get, what we can get out of him coming into the summer and fall there and he gets hurt, so he misses all fall camp. As soon as he comes back, he gets banged up.
"So, really, this is the first time he knows the defense, first time he’s been healthy for an entire off-season to build into what he’s become. He’s put up great numbers, his speed has increased. The speed of the game is not too big. The physicality of the game is not too big, so I’ve enjoyed working with him. He's definitely a guy that's going to pop out there."
Recruitment: After landing Lytle in 2019, April hit big again in 2020 with a commitment from Nick Herbig. The four-star prospect chose the Badgers over Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Stanford, Tennessee, UCLA and USC, among others.
“They develop really great defensive players especially at my position at outside linebacker," Herbig told Rivals.com. "They really look at me coming in and being an outside linebacker for them and filling that spot on their defense.
“I had some interest in them and started looking more into them and their defense and the players they produce and just everything, their program, their coaches, I wanted to see what it’s like out there.”
Career: Herbig made a huge impact for the Badgers in 2020 as a true freshman. The outside linebacker started all seven games and finished fourth on the team with 26 tackles, including a team-best six for loss. What does Herbig, 6-foot-2 and 228 pounds, have in store for his second season with the program? That will be worth tracking this spring as the Hawaii native looks to improve on his sack total from last year.
