Coach: 'Wisconsin is getting a special one' in 2024 TE Grant Stec
Wisconsin landed one of its top targets in the 2024 class on Sunday.
Grant Stec, a three-star tight end from Jacobs High School in Illinois, gave his commitment to the Badgers during a junior-day visit this weekend.
"I think it's just the feeling he got every time he's been on campus," Jacobs head coach Brian Zimmerman told BadgerBlitz.com. "Northwestern and Iowa were also in his top three, and we didn't really know it he wanted to make it official or do some more visits. But he went up there yesterday with his parents and he said it just felt right."
Commit No. 2 for Wisconsin in the 2024 class, Stec chose the Badgers over offers from Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Penn State and Tennessee, among others. He joins Mabrey Mettauer as committed prospects for head coach Luke Fickell in the current cycle.
"He had something like 25-plus offers and he probably could have had more had he wanted to go out and camp," Zimmerman said. "At this point with the amount text messages he was getting and everything else, he was ready to get this done with and move forward.
"Some guys like to go on visits, put the jersey on and show it on social media. Grant really isn’t one of those people. He’s kept things pretty quiet and I know it takes stress off him to get this done. He wants to get back to just being a kid. You don’t get a lot of kids like him that come through your program. Coach Fickell is a very nice and genuine guy when I spoke to him and I can't wait to see what he can do with Grant."
Tight ends coach Gino Guidugli served as the lead contact in Stec's recruitment. The two had a previous relationship during Guidugli's time at Cincinnati.
"Cincinnati was not at the top of his list when that staff was over there with Coach Fickell," Zimmerman said. "So we wondering if they were going to hold it against Grant because Cincinnati was not one of his top schools when they were over there. But Coach Fickell and Coach Gino came in and they were very excited that Grant had the interest in Wisconsin and we are very happy that it worked out for him and his family.
"Ultimately he wanted to be in the Midwest because he’s a Midwest kid. Had he shown more interest in offers outside of the Midwest, I think he would have got a lot more. From the beginning he said he wanted to be closer to home so his family could see him play and that was really important to him. The style of football at Wisconsin also fit him very well. We’re just very excited for him and we’re glad he found his home. And he’s a great kid on top of everything, so Wisconsin is getting a special one."
As a junior, Stec caught 25 passes for 438 yards and seven touchdowns for the Golden Eagles, who made the Class 7A quarterfinals in Illinois.
"I think he weighed in at 238 pounds during the visit yesterday and he was 6-foot-6 and some change," Zimmerman said. "If you look at our offense, his hand is in the dirt because we’ve rushed for over 7,000 yards in the last two seasons, but he still caught 50 balls for about 900 yards over the last two years. So he’s still able to do great things and I think that will translate over to Wisconsin when he gets there.
"I think he squats around 375 pounds and he’ll power clean 260 or 270 pounds. The bench is the big thing that he’s working on and you’re starting to see him fill out. His legs have always been huge and you can tell that he’ll play at 255 (pounds) or 260 in college. There’s no doubt about that once he gets in that weight room at Wisconsin with those professionals. Overall he’s been working his tail off and it’s starting to show. So with that and the intangibles of being able to run, jump, the size of his hands and the wing span, he’s just special as a two-way player for us."
Stec's blend of size and athleticism make him an ideal fit in Wisconsin's new Air Raid offense. Working on speed is an emphasis going into the spring.
"There’s a lot of kids who are 6-foot-6 but not many who can move like him," Zimmerman said. "He’ll do track in the spring to improve on his speed and his goal is to get to a 4.7 (second) 40-yard dash. A big kid moving with his strides is pretty unique. He’s run the 200 for us and he’s around a 24.2, which is pretty good for a kid his size.
"He brings that athleticism and he’s getting better at refining his routes. We throw three or four days a week and we toss about 100 balls at him. He has incredible hands and they are about the size of my head. His concentration to go up and get the football and the route running, he does that at a high level. He’s not a speedster, but he’s one of those bigger pass catchers that you see in the NFL. He can block and catch the ball, and it’s like trying to bring a tree down when he’s running at you. So he’s fun to watch and he’s made some unbelievable catches for us."
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