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: Cornerback Emiril Gant
Offers: Wisconsin
Previous Rank: 14
The Word: Wisconsin was the first school to offer Emiril Gant on June 1, and the Badgers hosted the standout from Florida for an unofficial visit later that month. Hank Poteat and Jim Leonhard are serving as the lead contacts in his recruitment.
No. 15: Inside linebacker Payton Pierce
Offers: Baylor, LSU, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, TCU, Texas, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin, among others
Previous Rank: 16
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. He will visit Wisconsin again this weekend.
"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."
