With Wisconsin sitting on one commitment in the junior cycle, BadgerBlitz.com takes a look at what's ahead in the second edition of the State of the 2022 Class.
Note: The "top target(s)" category takes into account talent level and current interest in Wisconsin. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the UW coaching staff.
QUARTERBACKS
How many will they take? Wisconsin is expected to take one scholarship quarterback in the 2022 class.
Who do they already have? The Badgers have a commitment from three-star quarterback Myles Burkett.
Top targets: N/A
Scholarship seniors: Danny Vanden Boom (5th year)
What's next?
Burkett, a three-star in-state prospect from Franklin High School, is expected to be the only scholarship quarterback Wisconsin takes in the 2022 class. The Badgers have not signed two players at the position since Danny Vanden Boom and Jack Coan in 2017.
"I'll be the one quarterback they take - they aren't going to offer another guy," Burkett told BadgerBlitz.com. "That also factored into it because they are going to take me and me only. They put their trust in me and expressed their belief in me to be their sole guy in 2022, and I'm very grateful for that."
RUNNING BACKS
How many will they take? Wisconsin is expected to take one tailback in the 2022 class.
Top target(s): Nicholas Singleton, Omarion Hampton, Michael Allen, Dillon Tatum
Scholarship seniors: John Chenal (4th year)
What's next?
Singleton, who visited last winter, is likely the top option from this group. Ohio State and Penn State, though, are believed to be out front in his recruitment. Tatum has the Badgers in his 10, but Michigan is a likely destination after the Wolverines added his head coach to their coaching staff last month.
WIDE RECEIVERS
How many will they take? Wisconsin is expected to take two or three wide receivers in the 2022 class.
Top target(s): Omar Cooper Jr., Darrius Clemons
Scholarship seniors: Jack Dunn (6th year), Kendric Pryor (6th year); Danny Davis (5th year)
What's next?
Position coach Alvis Whitted has sent out a few offers to prospects in the 2022 class, but Wisconsin isn't considered a favorite for anyone on that list so far. From that group, Cooper Jr. and Clemons seem like realistic options, but more scholarships will likely need to go out this spring. It will be fun to see what Whitted can do in his first full recruiting cycle with the Badgers. Expectations are high after he stole Skyler Bell from Iowa and secured a commitment from Markus Allen, a Rivals250 prospect, in the 2021 cycle.
TIGHT ENDS
How many will they take? Wisconsin is expected to take one or two tight ends in the 2022 class.
Top target(s): Micah Riley, Elijah Brown
Scholarship seniors: Jake Ferguson (5th year)
What's next?
Riley, who has Wisconsin in his top eight, is likely Wisconsin's top target at the position. The four-star tight end is expected to visit Madison on his own in March. Brown has watched his recruitment pick up this winter and recently mentioned that Alabama, Arizona State, USC and Virginia Tech were doing well for his services. In-state tight end Andrew Keller may emerge as a potential option this spring, and the staff is still keeping tabs on Rufus King's Jerry Cross, who made an early commitment to Penn State.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
How many will they take? Wisconsin is expected to take two or three offensive linemen in the 2022 class.
Top target(s): Joe Brunner, Billy Schrauth, Carson Hinzman
Scholarship seniors: Kayden Lyles, Logan Bruss, Tyler Beach, Josh Seltzner, Aaron Vopal (all 5th year)
What's next?
Wisconsin would love to lock up the three in-state prospects and be done on the offensive line in 2022. Schrauth, though, could be trending more towards a defensive tackle at the next level. Notre Dame is a strong contender for all three, and it will be interesting to see if the Irish can pull a prospect from the state in this cycle. The Badgers could likely get away with taking just two linemen in 2022 if either Brunner, Hinzman or Schrauth commits elsewhere.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
How many will they take? Wisconsin is expected to take three defensive linemen in the 2022 class.
Top target(s): Hunter Deyo, Keith Miles Jr., Isaac Hamm
Scholarship seniors: Matt Henningsen (5th year), Bryson Williams (4th year)
What's next?
Signing a true nose tackle in the mold of Keeanu Benton and Bryson Williams is one of the bigger needs for new position coach Ross Kolodziej in the 2022 class. From the group of offered prospects, it will be interesting to see who Wisconsin is able to get on campus for visits this spring, assuming things open back up in April. At end, Hamm would fill a big need for UW and fellow in-state junior Barrett Nelson could play his way into a scholarship during camp this summer. Miles Jr. is also an intriguing out-of-state option with a strong level of interest in Wisconsin.
LINEBACKERS
How many will they take? Wisconsin is expected to take two linebackers in the 2022 class.
Top target(s): Popeye Williams, Sebastian Cheeks, Joshua Burnham
Scholarship seniors: Mike Maskalunas (6th year), Jack Sanborn (4th year), Noah Burks (6th year), Izayah Green-May (5th year)
What's next?
Wisconsin loaded up on linebackers in the last two cycles, signing six scholarships prospects at the position in 2020 and again in 2021. With that, the 2022 linebacker group is expected to be much smaller. Burnham and Cheeks have already visited and both seem to like the Badgers early in the process. UW will also have some intriguing options from inside the state, though it did not have the luxury of seeing them at camp this past summer.
CORNERBACKS
How many will they take? Wisconsin is expected to take one cornerback in the 2022 class.
Top target(s): James Monds III, Avery Powell
Scholarship seniors: Caesar Williams (6th year), Faion Hicks (5th year), Deron Harrel (5th year)
What's next?
At corner, Wisconsin has had good success in the state of Florida, and Monds III is a realistic target heading into the spring, though Miami will be tough to beat. Powell, who has been in close contact with coordinator Jim Leonhard, also has the Badgers in his top group early on.
SAFETIES
How many will they take? Wisconsin is expected to take one safety in the 2022 class.
Top target(s): Cristian Driver, Xavier Nwankpa
Scholarship seniors: Colin Wilder (6th year), Scott Nelson (5th year)
What's next?
After signing two scholarship prospects at safety in the 2021 class, Wisconsin is in a position to be more selective in the junior cycle. Realistically, the Badgers could get away with just one player at the position in the 2022 cycle, though that could change depending on off-season attrition. Driver's connections to the state could keep the Badgers in his recruitment, while Nwankpa included the Badgers in his trimmed-down list last month.
