With high school football set to kick off inside the state Thursday evening, BadgerBlitz.com takes a look at 10 in-state prospects for Wisconsin recruiting fans to watch this fall.
Note: Prospects are listed in alphabetical order. This is not an exclusive list and does not represent the only in-state athletes Wisconsin is currently recruiting.
1. Germantown senior inside linebacker Cooper Catalano
Committed to: Wisconsin
Why watch: A 6-foot-2, 215-pound prospect from Germantown High School, Cooper Catalano was commit No. 4 for Wisconsin in the 2025 class. His primary contact is defensive coordinator Mike Tressel.
"I just have a really great relationship with the staff and it's my hometown team," Catalano told BadgerBlitz.com. "Wisconsin is the school I've been rooting for since I was a little kid, and there's nothing like football at Camp Randall. That's ultimately what led to my decision.
"Coach Tressel and I have a great relationship and he put in a ton of effort to get me to Wisconsin. We get along well and talk a lot on the phone. I appreciate Coach Tress and all the effort he's put into this process. I'm really excited to see what we can accomplish over the next few years."
Catalano, who chose UW over offers from Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas, Michigan State, Minnesota and Missouri, visited UW no less than six times during the course of his recruitment.
"The recruiting process is fun, obviously, but it does come with a lot of stress," Catalano said. "I'm very excited and I'm very confident that I made the right decision. I'm glad we come to this conclusion."
Catalano enters his senior season with 405 career tackles. He has a strong chance to break the state’s career record in that department of 462.
2. Neenah senior safety Grant Dean
Committed to: Wisconsin
Why watch: Wisconsin hosted Grant Dean, an in-state safety from Neenah High School, a handful of times prior to his offer in April. The three-star prospect and all-state pick in 2023 committed less than 24 hours later. Verbal No. 8 in the junior cycle, Dean chose Wisconsin over scholarships from Army, North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, South Dakota State and Wyoming.
"I've visited a few times and we were looking forward to getting back," Dean told BadgerBlitz.com. "Coach (Alex) Grinch told me that he didn't want to see me leave the state and that he wanted me here as a Badger. We kind of had an idea that the offer could come, but it was still very exciting.
"It was a dream come true for me to play for the Badgers. I've been watching them since I was a little kid and have been going to games. I'm super excited."
Dean, who ran the 100-meter dash in 10.8 seconds this spring, had 59 tackles and two interceptions last season.
3. Grafton junior linebacker Tyler Heinle
