Wisconsin Badgers Commitment 101: Four-star athlete Jaquez Keyes

The Wisconsin Badgers added four-star athlete Jaquez Keyes to their 2023 recruiting class Friday. Here's what Keyes' commitment means for head coach Paul Chryst moving forward.

Assuming Jaquez Keyes sticks at tailback, he certainly has the look of a power, between-the-tackles runner, and his style and makeup may remind some fans of Bradrick Shaw coming out of high school.

Physicality is the best word to describe Keyes, who is currently listed at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds. On tape, he displays the ability to run over and through defenders at the second level (25 seconds in his Hudl below) but also maintain a nice base with proper balance (1:55 mark).

In terms of what Wisconsin wants to do on the ground, Keyes, a four-star prospect from Ohio, appears to be an ideal fit.

"The kid just has a natural feel for running the football," Ironton High School head coach Trevon Pendleton told BadgerBlitz.com. "Very good balance, stays behind his pads, enough wiggle that he can weak-shoulder people and get on half a man to finish runs the way that you need to in the Big Ten. That's where I see his home being.

"Ja fits very well with the gap-scheme stuff at Wisconsin. The small little jump cut and having enough bend to get low and run behind his pads, he's got that, along with the physicality to finish runs. As the weather gets colder and the season goes along, you need someone to run the ball in November to win championships. Ja is going to be able to do that for you."

Keyes, however, certainly isn't a finished prospect. He'll benefit quite a bit from learning to be patient in the backfield. Right now, he's full speed as soon as he touches the football. As Keyes learns to let blocks develop in front of him, that will help his game elevate to the next level.

Can Keyes be a three-down back for the Badgers? That will be something to watch as he learns to pass protect and catch the ball out of the backfield. Right now, though, Wisconsin is getting a very nice mix of power (365-pound bench, 415 squat and 265 clean) and speed (4.54-second 40-yard dash).

"We talk about it all the time in that he's truly scratching the surface in terms of the type of football player that he's going to be," Pendleton said. "He hasn't played a ton of football, but over the last two years he's grown so much as a football player and a person. In the weight room, he's completely changed his body, and that's a testament to him, his family and the work ethic that they've put in. He's a kid who is constantly texting and calling at night to get the keys to the weight room. So he's put in his time and the effort in that department. I truly think the kid is going to be a special football player because he's a special kid in terms of work ethic and character.

"Frame-wise, his home is around 220 (pounds), 225 tops. The kid is 210 pounds right now and he's at about six to seven percent body fat. I'd be hard pressed to find many high school kids who look like him. He can carry some more weight and keep that explosion and bend."