With all but one member of Wisconsin's 2020 recruiting class now signed, 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 2021 class.
Today, we continue with California, where the Badgers already have a commitment from a quarterback in the 2021 class.
Primary recruiter(s) in the state: Bobby April, Inoke Breckterfield
Number of athletes on the current roster from California (including the 2020 class): 7
Number of known offers extended in California in 2021 class: 1
Hotspot: St. John Bosco
Notable past recruits from California: Bart Houston, Leon Jacobs, Olive Sagapolu, Kyle Penniston, Alex Smith, Titus Toler and Spencer Lytle, among others.
Top five (realistic) targets in California
This past spring, Wisconsin was the the first school to offer Deacon Hill, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound junior from Santa Barbara High School in California. The recruiting process didn't last long, though, as the two-star prospect committed roughly two months later in June of 2019.
"We've been together since Deacon was in fifth grade and we always talked about that one coach who was going to be there from the start and believe in him," Santa Barbara head coach JT Stone told BadgerBlitz.com. "We knew it was going to be an early commitment for him because Deacon is the type of kid who knew what he wanted.
"Where we're at - about two hours away from Los Angeles - it was whoever finds this kid is going to get a gem. I think we knew from the jump that whoever showed they really cared about this kid was going to get him. Wisconsin came in and they did a phenomenal job with Deacon - just phenomenal. They showed him that they cared and they showed him that they wanted him, and both Deacon and his family recognized that."
Hill, who threw for over 2,000 yards and 22 touchdown passes during the regular season this fall, was on campus most recently in late September for his first game at Camp Randall Stadium.
"When I got here Friday morning I went to their Friday practice, which was cool," Hill told BadgerBlitz.com. "With all the coaches we caught up about life and how the season was going. And then they got to talk and meet with my parents, which was really cool.
"My dad came with me on my first visit and he loved it. But this time was the first time my mom came out. She absolutely fell in love with the place - the people, coaches, city and school. That was really cool for me because she got to experience what I did when I came and she now fully understands why I chose Wisconsin."
