Wisconsin is expected to host double-digit visitors on Saturday for its rivalry contest against Iowa.
BadgerBlitz.com takes a look at the group and provides analysis on each prospect.
CURRENT WISCONSIN COMMITS
Four commits from Wisconsin's 2024 recruiting class are expected to be in Madison on Saturday for UW's 3:00 PM kickoff against Iowa. Two from the list - Grant Stec and Emerson Mandell - were also top targets for the Hawkeyes prior to their pledge to the Badgers.
"The first thing that stands out about Grant Stec is his frame," Rivals.com's Clint Cosgrove wrote at the time of Stec's commitment. "This is a kid who is 6-foot-6 and pushing 240 pounds right now, and he runs like a wide receiver. So he has the size to be an in-line tight end but he can also split out, which will cause all kinds of mismatches. He can start split out, he can motion in, he can shift or be an on-the-ball tight end.
"The thing that you love about him is that he's going to be a blocking threat, too. He's going to be a 265-pound tight end that can run, block and flat out get after you. When he gets in a college strength program it will almost be like having another offensive lineman out there but with the versatility to catch passes as well.
After three visits to Wisconsin during his recruitment, Thomas Heiberger, who will make a return trip to UW this weekend, announced his commitment to the Badgers in early April. The three-star prospect from South Dakota chose Wisconsin over offers from Texas Tech, Nebraska, Washington, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Kansas and Kansas State.
"I've talked to Coach Mitchell quite a bit and I know they love his length from that outside linebacker spot," Jefferson head coach Vince Benedetto told BadgerBlitz.com. "He's got a lot of strength and speed for a high school kid, and the coaches at Wisconsin just think he fits in really well for them.
"We play him everywhere from safety to inside linebacker to defensive end. He can really do everything for us and it got to the point last year where he didn't come out of the game unless he was absolutely gassed. We plan on using him on offense quite a bit next year, and he's actually a really good quarterback. He has a really good arm with his baseball background, and he could also play tight end or receiver for us, so we'll see. You just can't take a kid like that off the field and he's just so much fun to coach."
This spring, Wisconsin secured a commitment from in-state linebacker Landon Gauthier, a three-star prospect from Bay Port High School. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound junior was also strongly considering Stanford at the time of his decision.
"His size and athleticism are incredible," Bay Port head coach Gary Westerman told BadgerBlitz.com. "Obviously he's going to start at linebacker for Wisconsin but with his size and frame, you just don't know what he's going to become.
"He's over a 500-pound squat, and to me that's impressive. As far as his 40 (yard dash), I don't know that off the top of my head and I don't want to give out bad information. But in terms of the weight room, he's as strong as we've ever had. When he runs a straight line, he's incredibly fast. Just a special kid."
