With five NFL Draft picks and three first-team All-Americans, the class of 2009 was a special one for Wisconsin and head coach Bret Bielema. In addition to those accolades, the group had very little turnover outside of the players who were lost due to injury. And in terms of busts, no one from the class, outside of Kraig Appleton and his off-the-field issues, fits the bill. A good chunk of these athletes played in three Rose Bowls at UW.
Continuing in our series: As Wisconsin fans count down the days before fall camp opens, we look back at the 2009 recruiting class and re-rank each player based on their careers at UW.
RELATED: Recruiting Rewind: Class of 2006 | Recruiting Rewind: Class of 2007 | Recruiting Rewind: Class of 2008 |
The third highest-ranked wide receiver Wisconsin has signed during the Rivals.com era - behind only Danny Davis and A.J. Taylor - Kraig Appleton lasted just one season in Madison. The four-star prospect, whose recruitment was a roller coaster up until Signing Day of 2009, had an offer list that included Illinois, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Texas Tech, among others. In the end, the Badgers were able to top the in-state Illini for the No. 162 player in the country. At UW, Appleton played sparingly as a true freshman before being dismissed from the program.
Rivals Re-Ranking: Incomplete
Wisconsin, led by assistant coach Dave Doeren, beat out Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Northwestern for Montee Ball's services. From 2009-2012, the former four-star prospect finished with 5,140 rushing yards, the No. 2 mark in program history, and was a two-time All-American. Ball, a second-round pick by Denver in the 2013 NFL Draft, still has UW records for rushing touchdowns (77) and total touchdowns (83).
Rivals Re-Ranking: *****
Chris Borland came Wisconsin's summer camp in 2008 as an unranked and lightly-recruited prospect from Ohio. During a three-day session at Camp Randall, Borland worked extensively at linebacker but stayed after practice to punt one day, kick field goals the next and catch passes the last. At Wisconsin, Borland played in all 13 of Wisconsin's games as a true freshman and started six. Borland finished the year as the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year after he racked up 10.5 tackles for loss and five sacks.
During his entire career, Borland played in 53 games over five seasons (he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the third game of 2010). He finished ranked sixth all-time at Wisconsin in total tackles (420), fifth in solo tackles (234), fourth in tackles for loss (50.0) and tied for eighth in sacks (17). Borland was the 77th pick in the 2014 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.
Rivals Re-Ranking: ****
Injuries derailed Jon Budmayr's career at Wisconsin before it ever got started. But in the 2009 class, the three-star prospect from Illinois was a huge get for the Badgers. During his recruitment, Budmayr had offers from Notre Dame, Northwestern, Illinois, Arizona and Nebraska but committed to UW in May of 2008. He spent time on Paul Chryst's staff at Wisconsin but is currently the senior special assistant to the head coach at Iowa.
Rivals Re-Ranking: Incomplete
During his recruitment, Casey Dehn, who picked up an offer from Wisconsin at camp in 2008, chose the Badgers over the in-state Gophers. While at UW, Dehn walked away from program in order to pursue a track career at the university. He returned to the football team soon after only to step away again prior to the start of the 2012 season.
Rivals Re-Ranking: **
Tyler Dippel was a bit of a "tweener" at the high school level, and the in-state prospect had to wait until his senior year before an offer came in from the Badgers. After narrowing his list to Stanford and Wisconsin, Dippel, who was originally from California, committed to UW in the fall of 2008. At Wisconsin, Dippel was a solid contributor and played in 50 games during his career for the Badgers.
Rivals Re-Ranking: ***
Jeff Duckworth is probably remembered best for his 4th down reception against Michigan State in the 2011 Big Ten title game. The former three-star prospect, who chose UW over an offer from Indiana, was a four-year letter-winner for the Badgers from 2010-13. Duckworth caught 39 passes for 398 yards and four touchdowns in 41 career games for Wisconsin.
Rivals Re-Ranking: **
A.J. Fenton, a prep quarterback coming out of Pennsylvania, chose Wisconsin over scholarships from Pittsburgh, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Indiana, Stanford and Syracuse, among others. At the start of the 2012 season, Fenton, who was in the two-deep at linebacker, left the team for medical reasons.
Rivals Re-Ranking: **
Offered by Bielema on June 23, 2008 after a strong camp performance, Travis Frederick returned to Madison later that week for an unofficial visit. On June 27, he committed to the Badgers. In three years at Wisconsin, Frederick started 18 games at center (including all 14 during 2012) and 13 at left guard. He became the first true freshman offensive lineman to start a season opener in 2009, was named a consensus second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2011 and a first-team selection in 2012. A team captain his junior season, Frederick was a key cog to Wisconsin’s rushing attack on the 2011 and 2012 Big Ten championship teams. He was selected in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.
Rivals Re-Ranking: *****
Wisconsin went into South Florida in the 2009 class and landed David Gilbert, a Rivals250 prospect from Northeast High School. The in-state Gators showed late interest but did not end up offering, a move that triggered his commitment to the Badgers. At UW, Gilbert, who enrolled early, played as a true freshman but fought nagging injuries throughout his career. After walking away from the Badgers in the summer of 2013, he used his graduate transfer to play his final year of eligibility at Miami.
Rivals Re-Ranking: ***
