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Committing in person was important for Michael Furtney

Wisconsin was one of the first schools to show serious interest in Michael Furtney, dating back to his solid camp performance in Madison last summer.

So when the 2018 offensive lineman saw his recruitment blow up this winter, the Badgers remained atop his list of potential schools. And Tuesday, during an unofficial visit to UW, the 6-foot-5, 280-pound junior committed to Wisconsin.

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"I got that feeling the very first time I stepped foot on campus last summer," Furtney told BadgerBlitz.com. "At that point I felt like Wisconsin would be the place for me. I went to a lot of different schools to see if any of them gave me that same feeling and none of them did quite like Wisconsin.

"I honestly had that same feeling when I walked on the campus this morning."

Furtney, the No. 7 commit for the Badgers in the 2018 class, chose Wisconsin over offers from Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, Virginia, Vanderbilt and Kentucky, among others. He has visited Madison unofficially no less than five times since the fall.

"If feels great to have made this decision," Furtney, who carriers a 3.9 GPA said. "This past year has been awesome but I am definitely glad that the recruiting process is over. I can now focus on my high school team and my senior season.

"I am done. I have found my home."

During his recruitment, Furtney, who was recruited primarily by position coach and coordinator Joe Rudolph, had no less than 26 scholarship offers. He was able to celebrate the decision with his future teammates on the offensive line after their first spring practice Tuesday morning.

"Coach Rudolph announced to the offensive line that I had committed today and they all came up and shook my hand and some even hugged me," Furtney said. "They literally felt like brothers accepting me into their family. It was awesome.

"This is literally the biggest decision I've made in my life and I wanted to do it in person. I also want them to know when I commit, I am totally committed. And I feel that doing it in person showed them that."

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