Who's next: Five to watch in Wisconsin's 2021 class
The ink is dry for the University of Wisconsin’s 2020 early signing class, a group of 19 prospects that gave the Badgers the No. 32 class in the Rivals.com recruiting rankings.
But while the 2021 recruiting class is about to take center stage, head coach Paul Chryst and his staff already have taken a sneak peek at the next feature film. The Badgers have accepted verbal commitments from seven juniors that include a quarterback (Deacon Hill), two projected tailbacks (Loyal Crawford and Jackson Acker), two stalwart linemen (JP Benzschawel and RIley Mahlman) and two aggressive linebackers (Bryan Sanborn and Ayo Adebogun).
Wisconsin’s seven commits are tied for second most in the 2021 class with Florida, Notre Dame and Texas (Miami has eight) and its class is ranked eighth nationally (No. 2 in the Big Ten). But with likely a dozen more spots to fill, the Badgers have more work to do
Here are five prospects Wisconsin would love to add in the days, weeks or months ahead to their 2021 class.
Following this week’s commitment of Adebogun, Wisconsin has locked up four of the top-five in-state players for the 2021 class. The lone hold out is Hunter Wohler, who is arguably the top target for UW moving forward.
The WFCA defensive player of the year after registering 122 tackles for Muskego, Wohler didn’t jump on his Wisconsin offer (his first overall) when he received it in January. Over the course of the last 12 months, Wohler has picked up scholarships from Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Notre Dame and Ohio State, not to mention contact from Alabama, LSU and Stanford.
While he has visited a handful of schools, Wohler plans to take his allotted official visits before making a commitment prior to his senior year. Wisconsin figured to be involved until the end.
“They have a great coaching staff and a great program,” Wohler told BadgerBlitz.com earlier this month. “Coach (Jim) Leonhard, he's a great defensive coordinator and a great coach overall. I'm real comfortable with where I sit with Wisconsin right now and I will get up there for a bowl practice. I'll also take an official visit there and we'll see what happens.”
Wisconsin landed the younger brother of linebacker Jack Sanborn earlier this week when Bryan (also a linebacker) announced his commitment to the Badgers’ 2021 class. UW would love nothing more to add another “little” brother in this class with Nolan Rucci.
Even though older brother Hayden Rucci (who redshirted as a tight end this season for UW) is two years older, Nolan is four inches taller and 25 pounds heavier. The other big difference is Nolan has emerged as one of the top recruited linemen in the country, holding roughly 30 offers from schools like Alabama, Clemson, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Penn State. Wisconsin offered in September 2018 and it appears to be a Penn State-UW battle. The one edge UW has over the Nittany Lions is Hayden.
“Certainly it's a factor with Hayden being at Wisconsin because we have a really good relationship,” Nolan told BadgerBlitz.com after visiting for the UW-Purdue game. “For his last season in high school we played next to each other and that was great. We like to work together a lot and having him there and playing together is definitely something I would enjoy doing again. It factors into my decision and he's recruiting me hard. I'm appreciative of that.”
It’s always a challenge for Wisconsin to out-recruit the Hawkeyes for an Iowa native, but T.J. Bollers, a Rivals100 prospect for 2021, has been attracted to the Badgers throughout his recruitment. He camped with the Badgers last summer and took an unofficial visit to a game this past fall. Bollers also wants to major in engineering, a top UW program that has its building right next to Camp Randall.
“(Wisconsin has) listed multiple players - and I've met them as well - that are doing the same major as the one I'm interested in,” Bollers told BadgerBlitz.com in September. “So that means that it's achievable and that you can play big-time football while doing so.”
Described by Rivals.com recruiting director Mike Farrell as, “a physical defensive end who works well off contact,” Bollers might be the top defensive player on UW’s recruiting board after Wohler.
Needing to start rebuilding depth at both linebacker positions, Wisconsin has signed seven projected inside and outside linebackers in the last two recruiting classes. Even with two projected backers committed for 2021, the Badgers are looking to add more to the interior of their defense. Mac Uihlein fits that billing.
One of the top linebacker prospects in the Midwest, ranked as the No. 127 overall prospect and the No. 5 inside linebacker in the nation, Uihlein holds six offers, from Iowa, Louisville, Northwestern, Purdue, Virginia and Wisconsin. This fall, he visited Wisconsin, Virginia and Northwestern for games.
While not as important of a region as a decade ago, Ohio is still an important recruiting zone for Wisconsin to have a presence in. The Badgers have four offers to uncommitted Buckeye State prospects and, while Akron linebacker Damon Ollison would also be a good fit in this 2021 class, Wisconsin could use another power edge player like Darryl Petersen.
Finishing his junior season with 21 sacks and 24 tackles for loss, Petersen got his first offer from Wisconsin in September. Since then, Alabama, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia and others have extended, with several more showing interest.
"I feel as I player I bring a lot of energy and leadership to the field,” Petersen told Rivals of his playing style. “I feel as if I’m fast off the edge and can use my hands pretty well! And I’m violent!"
The Spartans look to be one of the top schools for Petersen, who has one of his good friends (linebacker Devin Hightower) signing with the program.