Wisconsin Primer: Early National Signing Period
Commit date: 9/10/17
*Will enroll early*
Quote: "I talked to coach (Chris) Haering quite a bit and the big thing was how both him and (older brother) John (Chenal) performed at camp this summer," head coach Adam Hale at Granstburg (WI) High School.told BadgerBlitz.com. "Just the way those two competed really caught the coaches' attention.
"With Leo, Wisconsin really liked what they saw firsthand at camp and they were also impressed with how he did at a combine this year. When they put those performances together after taking a look at some of his junior tape, they were pretty excited about him and they jumped on the offer."
Commit date: 10/8/17
*Will enroll early*
Quote: "Coach (Jon) Budmayr said they just liked how competitive I was and they think I can make all the throws on the field," Mertz told BadgerBlitz.com. "I think that showed pretty well on my first three games. I also think they liked the person I am and the family I come from.
"I love the tradition at Wisconsin. When I camped there, you could really see that everywhere you went. It’s a school where everyone is going to be involved and it’s a great community. I really loved the coaches and thought the players."
Commit date: 11/19/17
Quote: "We've told all our kids here that relationship building is the difference maker," East Kentwood (MI) High School coach Marty Martens told BadgerBlitz.com. "There's so many great programs and institutions out there, we talk about how important it is to build relationships and recognize the strong ones that you do form.
"That early process with Wisconsin was huge and Logan has been able to be build a good relationship with all those people at Wisconsin from Day 1."
Commit date: 11/21/17
Quote: "He's a physical back - a real powerful kid," Menomonee Falls (WI) High head coach Dan Lutz told BadgerBlitz.com. "He runs behind his pads and he'd rather run through you then around you. It's something that we may need to work on a bit with him, but his greatest strength is that he's so powerful. He can make things happen and I've seen him make long runs where he takes on five or six or seven guys all in one play.
"He also goes horizontal and vertical very quickly. I've never had a back that can jump-cut and get vertical as fast as he can. The Wisconsin coaches like the way he runs behind his pads. They love that he's a power back and that he runs a lot of power and zone at our school. That's what Wisconsin does, so he's a natural fit for them."
Commit date: 12/16/17
Quote: “I think the thing that stood out about Wisconsin is the potential for development,” Chris Svarczkopf told BadgerBlitz.com. “It’s a program that is committed to developing offensive linemen, as well as accomplishing the entire mission. The coach that recruited him, Bob Bostad, he has a great background in identifying and developing offensive linemen. He’s the linebackers’ coach now, but there have been so many linemen – award-winning players – that have went through that program.
“Joe saw all of that and he knows that the coaches are all guys who will take care of you and have your best interest at heart. He knows that they will develop him as a student and player.”
Commit date: 2/5/18
Quote: "His pass-catching ability stands out," Rucci's head coach, Bob Locker, told BadgerBlitz.com. "For the high school level he has great hands, and that will allow him to have a chance to do the same thing in college. But when people look at his Hudl highlights from the year, an awful lot of them are blocking highlights, and he understood that Wisconsin will require him to that. He'll be pretty comfortable with that.
"We'll continue to tweak the passing routes, because I think that's always something you can improve on. And then pass catching, we're doing that every Saturday morning with the wide outs and quarterbacks. The intensity is much different in college, but I think he'll be prepared. He's a very good blocker but we're working on crisper routes and fundamentals."
Commit date: 5/11/18
Quote: "Keeanu is a multi-sport kid who stays active year-round," Cougars' head coach Adam Bunderson told BadgerBlitz.com. "For wrestling, he went to state as a sophomore and then finished second this year. He's tough and uses his hands well, and those things work well in football.
"He's a big and strong kid now with lifting weights a few times a week. He's been involved in multiple sports his whole career, so it's not like he's been able to spend an off-season in the weight room and train like crazy. He's going to continue to add weight and get stronger, so I think the sky is the limit."
Commit date: 6/3/18
Quote: "James wanted to play in that conference and he has a great relationship with their defensive coordinator," Chaminade-Madonna head coach Dameon Jones told BadgerBlitz.com. "He wanted to do something different from everyone else. We have had receivers go to Alabama, Florida State, Miami ... James wanted to do something different from those guys.
"So that relationship with Wisconsin and the defense that they run, he felt Wisconsin was the place for him. He's a heck of a ball player who goes against Division 1 wide receivers in practice every day. He'll be ready for the Big Ten."
Commit date: 6/8/18
Quote: "Wisconsin is a great combination university, very similar to Gonzaga. We have a very unique institution in relation to the quality of academics and athletics," Gonzaga College High School head coach Randy Trivers told BadgerBlitz.com. "With Wisconsin, in some ways it's an extension of what Dean is doing at Gonzaga, and I mean that in the best way possible.
"Dean came to Gonzaga because he was looking for a combination of great athletics with a great education. Here he is four years later and he made a similar decision with the same formula. Dean is going to get a great football experience to go along with a great education. You're getting a chance to play for a college football championship while earning a degree that means something."
Commit date: 6/17/18
Quote: "Coach (John) Settle said that after talking with their defensive line coach (Inoke Breckterfield), I have the versatility to play both the nose guard and the 5-technique for their 3-4 defense," Paez told BadgerBlitz.com. "They think I could be really good there and fit really well into their defense."
Rivals.com recruiting analyst Adam Friedman: "Gio is a kid who I met even before he started playing football. He has a wrestling background and he's lived in the weight room. He's become a really strong interior defensive lineman and he's the type of player who Wisconsin has relied upon over the last few years - guys who come into the program and developed themselves into great players and major contributors. Gio has that same type of skill-set that they're very used to."
Commit date: 6/18/18
Quote: "He’s going to be great fit in Madison and you guys are going to love and embrace him," Former St. Thomas Aquinas assistant coach Devin Gaulden told BadgerBlitz.com. "He’s a fun kid who always has a smile on his face. He loves to be around people and he loves to have fun. The head coach at St. Thomas makes the guys do stuff in the community and Ace was always right there ready to go.
"He comes from a great family with a great father and a great mother, so Wisconsin is getting a great person. I’m very happy this is going down because he’s going to represent what being a Badger is all about."
Commit date: 8/4/18
*Will enroll early*
Quote: "It was an extremely tough decision," Lytle told BadgerBlitz.com. "I really loved both programs. Wisconsin just felt like the right fit overall. Coach (Bobby) April recently coming from the league and Coach (Jim) Leonhard’s story from walking on to his years in the NFL.
"I felt the combination of both coaches will help me pursue my dream of playing in the league, attaining a highly respected business degree and winning a few championships along the way."
From Rivals.com's Adam Gorney, who covers the state of California: "Lytle has looked really good this offseason - being physical when he needs to be at the line of scrimmage and especially in space during pass coverage. He's a really smart linebacker who takes to coaching and should only get even better during his senior season now at powerhouse Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco. Wisconsin has had so many talented linebackers come through the program in recent years and Lytle has a chance to follow in their footsteps."
Commit date: 10/7/18
Quote: “His strength is probably playing out in space and he has a lot more speed than people give him credit for as a 6-foot-4, 235-pound kid,” Cundiff’s head coach, Sean Billings, told BadgerBlitz.com. “He’s a big guy but he has quick feet; he has more speed than people realize. At this level, he creates some big-time mismatch opportunities for us and he can bring that to Wisconsin.
“He can also play with his hand in the ground and he’s not afraid to be a physical blocker in the run game. He does a good job of releasing from that spot as well. He has quick enough feet and he’s strong enough to get through the jams he faces at the line of scrimmage. Really his quickness and versatility stand out to me. He studies the game and watches film. I think because of his work ethic he’s going to fit in very well.”
Commit date: 11/3/18
Quote: "He one of the best kids we have," Stevenson head coach Josh Hjorth told BadgerBlitz.com. "He's an Eagle Scout with a 34 ACT and 3.78 GPA. Maema is a great leader and member of our student council. He would do anything for anyone.
"Maema is one our hardest working and smartest players we have had. He has a high ceiling because he just started playing ball his freshman year. He has dedicated himself to the program and the sport and it shows on the field. He is an absolute beast and Wisconsin is getting a great player with huge upside."
Commit date: 11/4/18
Quote: "I want to thank all the coaches who have recruited me through this great process and giving me the opportunity to play at the next level," Meyers wrote on his Twitter page. "But the biggest thanks goes to my mom, dad and family for helping me through it all and to get me to this level.
"I want to announce that all my work has paid off and I have committed to the University of Wisconsin-Madison."
Commit date: 11/6/18
Quote: "Stephan is an instinctive, explosive and dynamic football player," East Kentwood (MI) High School coach Marty Martens told BadgerBlitz.com. "I've never been around anyone like him in my 30 years of coaching. He has really great vision and can see holes and lanes before they open up. He already knows when stuff is going to take place on the field and he's made a lot of people look foolish this year.
"He can move around and play a few different spots. He's run 10.89 (seconds) in the 100-meter dash and a 4.34-second (40-yard dash) at the Northwestern combine this past summer. He's a kid who can get away from press coverage because of his speed. Because he's dynamic, he'll be able to help them in a number of ways."
Commit date: 11/6/18
Quote: “They have been recruiting me since early sophomore year and was one of the teams that stuck around and seen how I developed,” Johnson told Rivals.com. “They got close with my family, know my whole family by name and treated them like family. They just grew on me as time went on.
“I have been contemplating this for a long time, thinking about where I fit, where can I connect with everybody and still be able to have success as a football player as well as a student,” Johnson said. “I just felt Wisconsin was the best place, had the best interest for me and showed me a lot of love.
“I felt comfortable, caught good vibes, connected with the team well, had good relationships with the team, it’s a good education, my parents loved it… everything."
Commit date: 12/9/18
Quote: "I talked to the coaches one-on-one and we talked about the similarities with how they use the fullback and how we do it in high school," Easterling told BadgerBlitz.com. "Seeing how the coaches really care of their players as an athlete and as a person was really huge for me.
"They like that I'm physical. They have a senior that is graduating and they want me to help replace him. They think I can also play H-back and they like that I'm versatile."
Commit date: 12/14/18
Quote: "For them (Wisconsin), they like me at safety and they want me to drop down in nickel and play in coverage," Toler, the No. 68 overall recruit in the state of California, told BadgerBlitz.com. "Coach (Jim) Leonhard sees me fitting the role of D'Cota Dixon and what he did at Wisconsin. That's some big shoes to fill, but I'd like a chance to make my own footprints at the position."