The Wisconsin Badgers added three-star tight end Robert Booker to their 2024 recruiting class Tuesday.
Here's what Booker's commitment means for head coach Luke Fickell moving forward.
SKILLSET
Robert Booker was known more as a basketball player during his first two years at Waunakee High School. But after blowing up on the recruiting front this past fall, the 6-foot-6, 220-pound tight end is now a member of Wisconsin’s 2024 football class.
In terms of Booker's physical characteristics, he’s long and lean with plenty of room on his frame to fill out. He played defensive end up until his junior season, so the transition to tight end is still in its early stages. Recruiting is often about projecting for the future, and Booker has plenty of raw ability and overall upside. After a year or two in Wisconsin’s strength program, he could play somewhere in the 245- or 250-pound range. That, paired with his height and length, also makes him an intriguing option in the red zone.
"They went over the new offense and showed me what the tight ends will be doing. Really just showed me how the whole offense looks," Booker told BadgerBlitz.com after UW’s junior day. "In the Air Raid offense, the tight ends play everywhere. They can be in the backfield, on the line, in the slot and lined up outside at the receiver spot.
"They mess around with a lot of stuff and a lot of it is reading the defense and getting open. It's a great offense for receivers and tight ends, but it also opens up the box for running backs and gives them a chance to make plays in the open field. I definitely think this offense will be great for Wisconsin football."
At the high school level, Booker is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. He’s a long strider who can stretch the field vertically in the both intermediate and deeper parts of the field. Booker can take a 10-yard crossing route and turn it into a huge chunk play. He has an enormous catch radius and can go up and high-point the football over just about every linebacker or defensive back he’s competing against. He also has excellent balance and catches the ball away from his body.
Though he’s still raw in the blocking department, Booker is effective for the Warriors in their running attack. He should be able to bring this to Wisconsin’s offense after a year or two in the program.
Overall, the Badgers hit a home run at tight end in the 2024 class with Booker and Grant Stec. Both have elite size, coordination and athleticism, and the future at that position is awfully bright.
