Visitor preview: Badgers set to start off season with a bang on Saturday

Wisconsin is set to kick off the 2021 season on Saturday with a Big Ten clash against Penn State.

On the recruiting front, the coaching staff is leveraging the game-day atmosphere by hosting some of its top targets in the 2022, 2023 and 2024 cycles.

Following is a list of prospects who are expected to be on campus this weekend.

Note: This is not an exclusive list and more athletes will be added in the hours leading up to game day.

***Two of Wisconsin's top remaining targets in the 2022 class will make return visits this weekend. Offensive linemen Billy Schrauth and Carson Hinzman, both of whom visited officially this summer, are on the Badgers' guest list for Penn State.

Hinzman has taken officials to Wisconsin (June 4), Ohio State (June 11), Notre Dame (June 18) and Iowa (June 25). From that group, the Badgers and Buckeyes are believed to have a slight edge.

“Them (Ohio State) and Wisconsin are really fighting for that top spot right now,” Hinzman told Rivals.com. “Iowa and Minnesota are both kind of fighting behind them. We’re going to the Wisconsin game against Penn State on the fourth, this Saturday, so that’ll be a big game as well to get down there. A big opportunity to compare Wisconsin to Ohio State. That’s what we’re really looking for.”

Schrauth has taken official trips to Wisconsin (June 4), Notre Dame (June 11) and Ohio State (June 15). His recruitment, however, has been focused on the Badgers and Irish for much of the spring and summer.

“I think it’s down to Wisconsin and Notre Dame," Schrauth told Rivals.com. "I have to talk things through with my family and see where things are at."

BadgerBlitz.com will attended Schrauth's game on Friday evening.

***Luna Larson, a top preferred walk-on target for the Badgers, is also expected on campus. The in-state standout from Baraboo currently lists offers from Air Force, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Columbia, Dartmouth, Eastern Illinois, Eastern Michigan and North Dakota, among others. UW currently does not have a linebacker commit in the senior class.

***UW is also expected to host most - if not all - of its 13 (along with two walk-ons) current commits in the 2022 class.

***On the basketball side, head coach Greg Gard will officially host guard Connor Essegian. The Badgers are in his top group, along with Butler, Creighton, Minnesota and Wake Forest.

"They just said I was a great fit - that was the main message for me during the visit," Essegian told BadgerBlitz.com. "They liked the way I shoot the ball and said that is something they're looking for, and they also like my intensity on both ends of the floor. They think I have that grit that Wisconsin has always played with, along with being multi-dimensional. They said they are looking to take one to two players in this class."

Sophomore guard Caden Wilkins to is also expected to make the trip from Iowa to Wisconsin on Saturday.