The Sweet 16 ranking is based on a combination of three factors: position need, interest in Wisconsin and talent level.
Note: All quotes used in this report are from the Rivals.com network.
No. 16: Inside linebacker Payton Pierce
Offers: Baylor, LSU, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, TCU, Texas, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin, among others
Previous Rank: N/A
The Word: This spring, the Badgers hosted Payton Pierce, the No. 3 inside linebacker in the country. The competition is stiff for the four-star talent from Texas, but Pierce is intrigued by the opportunity to play for one of the top defenses in the country.
"I don't have a connection to Wisconsin, but when the Badgers called and asked me to come up, I couldn't say no," Pierce told BadgerBlitz.com. "It's Wisconsin and the No. 1 defense in the country, so it made a lot of sense for us.
"I like Big Ten football and that hard-nosed style of play. Wisconsin has great linebackers and I love Coach (Jim) Leonhard's story as a former walk-on. That really stuck out to me and I knew I would take a visit there if they ever wanted me to see their school."
No. 15: Defensive end Eddie Tuerk
Offers: Cincinnati, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Northwestern, Tennessee and Wisconsin, among others
Previous Rank: N/A
The Word: Four-star prospect Eddie Tuerk picked up a scholarship during an unofficial to Wisconsin in late March.
"After all that visit stuff, me and my dad went up to the offices and talked Coach K (Ross Kolodziej) for a while," Tuerk told BadgerBlitz.com. "We talked more about the defense and he asked me if I thought I would fit in well at Wisconsin. Their defense is similar to what we run in high school with our base defense, so I think I would fit well. That's when Coach K offered me. He brought up multiple times that they liked my personality and said that I embody the role that they want on their team.
"They think I will take care of things in the classroom and outside of football. I also fit their physical style of play and what schools need in the Big Ten. They want to stop the run first and they want physical linemen who can battle on the line of scrimmage and who aren't afraid to take hits."
