With Wisconsin's 2021 recruiting class now in the books, BadgerBlitz.com takes a look at UW's hot spots on the recruiting front and examines the top targets in a handful of states across the country from the 2022 class.
Today, we conclude with Wisconsin, the lifeblood of the Badgers' program.
OHIO | ILLINOIS | MICHIGAN | FLORIDA | INDIANA | CALIFORNIA | GEORGIA/CAROLINAS |
Primary recruiter(s) in the state: Chris Haering
Number of athletes on the 2020 roster from Wisconsin: 51
Number of known offers extended in Wisconsin in 2021 class: 5
Hotspot: Kimberly High School
In-state players who got away from the Badgers: Mike Hardy, Will Hagerup, Trae Waynes, Levon Myers, R.J. Shelton, A.J. Natter, Craig Evans, Gaelin Elmore, Robert Windsor, Vince Hughes, Ben Bredeson, Tristian Pipp and Nathan Stanley.
Top 10 priorities in Wisconsin
Four-star offensive tackle Joe Brunner grades out as the top player in the state and the No. 51 prospect in the 2022 class. A three-year varsity starter at Whitefish Bay, Brunner visited UW a handful of times in the fall of 2019 but has talked about taking official visits before making a final decision.
“I think I’ll try and use all five [official visits] — get out there with my family and see if I’m comfortable with the school," Brunner told BadgerBlitz.com. "It’s helpful to use all five, so I’m going to try and take advantage of it.”
Florida State, Iowa, LSU, Miami (FL), Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State, among others, are also involved in Brunner's recruitment.
Carson Hinzman was the first in-state prospect Wisconsin offered in the 2022 class after he made two camp stops in Madison during the summer of 2019. The projected interior lineman also visited UW multiple times in the fall of 2019, but schools like Notre Dame, Alabama, Iowa, Michigan and Northwestern, among others, are also in strong pursuit.
“Definitely the tippity-top," Hinzman told BadgerBlitz.com when asked about Wisconsin. "I always love their program and everything they do. We were actually going through baby pictures and stuff like that, because we had to clean out my closet the other night, and I found a picture of me when I was like a year old with a Badger uniform on. So my mom when Coach (Joe) Rudolph called them one time, she's like, ‘You know, I did my part. I'm trying to push him to you guys.’
Alabama, Iowa, LSU, Miami (FL), Michigan, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State and Tennessee, among others, have also offered the four-star talent.
