Over the next two weeks, BadgerBlitz.com will be bringing you snapshots for each recruited position, covering the targets who are legitimate prospects on Wisconsin's board in the 2024 class. We will discuss the candidates who are most interested in the Badgers, as well as those who are considered long shots to commit to UW.
As always, this is just a snapshot in time and things remain fluid. Additional offered targets will appear over the next few months and some recruits will inevitably choose other colleges.
Today, we continue with a look at the edge prospects.
QUICK BREAKDOWN
Wisconsin, led by assistant coach Bobby April, has recruited the outside linebacker position better than any other on the current roster. The Badgers lost Noah Burks to graduation after the Las Vegas Bowl in 2021, but of the six scholarship players who returned, four were rated as four-star prospects coming out of high school.
This fall, Nick Herbig will begin his third year as a starter for the Badgers. C.J. Goetz will likely be penciled in opposite, but he'll be pushed during camp by second-year player Darryl Peterson. Competition behind those three will revolve around Kaden Johnson, T.J. Bollers and, if healthy, Aaron Witt.
In the 2023 class, the Badgers have a commitment from three-star edge Jordan Mayer and are in strong pursuit of Tackett Curtis, a Rivals100 prospect from Louisiana. In the following cycle, the Badgers are involved with a handful of intriguing prospects, both from inside the state and across the country.
OFFERED TARGETS
Keeping Sam Pilof home is a top priority for Wisconsin in the 2024 class. The standout from Middleton visited in the spring and was offered by the Badgers after a strong camp performance in June. Iowa State, Penn State and Rutgers have also extended scholarships.
"Coach (Paul) Chryst said they loved my attitude and can tell I’m a worker," Pilof said. "He was just very impressed with my mentality, and I thought he was great to talk to. He’s a great person and certainly someone I would love to play for and look up to.
"I’m just very grateful for the opportunity to play at the next level. All the staff were amazing at Wisconsin."