Wisconsin Badgers Recruiting Rewind: Class of 2007
Bret Bielema's first full recruiting cycle as head coach at Wisconsin featured three monster recruits from inside the state and a handful of other prospects sprinkled across the Midwest and south Florida. Prolific recruiters Henry Mason and Dave Doeren flexed their muscles in Ohio and the Sunshine State, respectively, and gave UW recruiting fans something to look forward to in the classes to follow.
"It was nice this year to go into the houses and to present the kids with our 12-1 record and a win over Arkansas," Bielema said. "The national attention helped us as well this time. Any time you can get that exposure, it gets noticed by the people you are targeting."
When looking back at the 2007 class, attrition was much better compared to 2006, though there were misses at quarterback, defensive tackle and cornerback. But overall, this group was awfully successful as most played in two Rose Bowls during their final seasons at Wisconsin.
Continuing in our series: As Wisconsin fans count down the days before fall camp opens, we look back at the 2007 recruiting class and re-rank each player based on their careers at UW.
RELATED: Recruiting Rewind: Class of 2006 |
Zach Brown wasn't the forgotten running back in the 2007 class, but John Clay certainly took away some of his thunder. Brown rushed for 568 yards as a true freshman but his playing time diminished as a sophomore and junior. He redshirted in 2010 with Clay, Montee Ball and James White all demanding carriers. And after graduating from UW, Brown used his final year of eligibility at Pittsburgh. A good, but not great, college running back.
Rivals Re-Ranking: ***
Tight end turned defensive tackle Patrick Butrym had a very nice career at Wisconsin. The in-state prospect was a key contributor on two Rose Bowl teams and outplayed his star ranking at Wisconsin. Butrym even had a cup of coffee in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers.
Rivals Re-Ranking: ***
John Clay is one of Wisconsin's most storied recruits over the last 10 years. The No. 4 running back in the country and U.S. Army All-American Bowl participant had offers from Iowa, Ohio State, Michigan, Tennessee, Nebraska and a host of other schools. But Bielema landed Clay's commitment roughly one month before Signing Day. That, however, didn't end the drama.
Clay's eligibility was in question all the summer and the Racine Park standout was in summer school in order to qualify academically. But on Aug. 18, 2007, Clay arrived in Madison in the middle of fall camp and redshirted his freshman season. In 2009, Clay led the Big Ten and ranked eighth in the country with 1,517 rushing yards but weight issues plagued his final season in Madison. An MCL injury sidelined Clay for the last three 2010 regular season games and he declared early for the NFL Draft, where he was not selected. Clay finished his playing days at UW with the third-highest career touchdown total (41) and seventh all-time in rushing with 3,413 yards.
Rivals Re-Ranking: ****
David Gilreath had a very good career as a Badger and made his biggest impact on special teams - his 97-yard kickoff return against No. 1 Ohio State still gives Wisconsin fans goosebumps. As a receiver, the three-star prospect from Minnesota had over 1,000 yards and four touchdowns during his four-year career, with another 442 yards and four scores on the ground. During his recruitment, Gilreath decommitted from Minnesota after Glenn Mason was fired.
Rivals Re-Ranking: ***
Assistant coach Kerry Cooks recruited Mario Goins, a three-star prospect from Texas, to Wisconsin. Goins started six games at cornerback for Wisconsin in 2008 but was held out of spring practice so he could focus on academics in 2009. That summer, Bielema announced he had been released from his scholarship. Goins surfaced at West Texas A&M and finished his playing career back in the Lone Star State.
Rivals Re-Ranking: **
Wisconsin needed a defensive tackle late in the process and Dave Doeren found Jasper Grimes in the heart of south Florida in late January. Grimes chose UW over offers from Minnesota, FAU, Arkansas State, Southern Miss and Middle Tennessee State but didn't last too long in Madison. He transferred to Fort Scott (Kansas) Community College and eventually landed at Eastern Michigan. It could be argued that Grimes was never cut out for the Big Ten.
Rivals Re-Ranking: **
A huge get for Doeren out of south Florida, Aaron Henry committed to Wisconsin over offers from Nebraska, South Carolina, Iowa, Mississippi, Wake Forest and Pittsburgh, among others. Henry was also close to luring Brian Rolle with him to UW, but the four-star prospect signed with Ohio State.
Henry played very well as a true freshman and appeared destined for stardom before a knee injury sidelined him for the 2008 Outback Bowl. Henry redshirted the following season and recorded 32 starts during a solid career at Wisconsin. But the knee injury he sustained as a freshman likely took a step or two of his quickness away, and Henry moved from corner to safety in 2010. Henry and Bielema have since reunited at Illinois as head coach and defensive coordinator, respectively.
Rivals Re-Ranking: ***
Kyle Jefferson was a big get for Henry Mason and the Badgers, who beat out Purdue, Indiana, Iowa, Boston College and Michigan State for his services. The three-star prospect was listed at 195 pounds coming out of high school but likely never got to that number, even after four years at Wisconsin. Jefferson, who also competed in the Badgers' track and field program, started six games as a true freshman but only four contests over his next three seasons. He finished his career in Madison with just 701 receiving yards and two touchdowns and, unfortunately, may best be remembered for the vicious hit he took against Michigan State in 2007.
Rivals Re-Ranking: **
A four-star prospect with offers from Stanford, Michigan State, Georgia Tech and Indiana, Quincy Landingham committed to Wisconsin with high expectations. He graduated early and was moved from safety to running back during spring camp. Landingham carried the ball for 20 yards on five carries as a true freshman but elected to transfer following the 2007 season, likely due to the large amount of tailbacks on the roster at that time. He landed at Miami of Ohio but never came close to his four-star rating.
Rivals Re-Ranking: Incomplete
Otis Merrill, another prospect recruited by Mason, was Jefferson's good friend at powerhouse Glenville High School in Ohio. He chose the Badgers over Michigan State, Illinois and a host of MAC schools during his recruitment but tore his labrum and missed his entire freshman season. After wearing No. 4 the previous season, Bielema switched Merrill to No. 34, an indication he hadn't "earned" a coveted single-digit number at UW. He transferred soon after to Illinois State, where he was an all-Missouri Valley second-team selection as a senior and wound up in the Packers' rookie camp the following summer.
Rivals Re-Ranking: ***
Lightly recruited out of high school, Louis Nzegwu, a prep running back, quickly moved to defensive end when he arrived on campus. Nzegwu progressed well through the program and started the final 27 games of his junior and senior seasons. A solid career was highlighted by a returned fumble of 33 yards for a touchdown in the Rose Bowl against Oregon.
Rivals Re-Ranking: ***
Big Josh Oglesby, the best offensive tackle in the country in the 2007 class. With offers from nearly every school in the country, Oglesby quietly committed to Wisconsin in April of 2006 before he tore his ACL and missed his entire senior season at St. Francis. That would be a sign of things to come.
Oglesby redshirted in 2007 and started 28 games over the course of his career, but injuries were persistent during all five years. He finished strong, though, and started 13 of 14 games at right tackle in 2011 and was a consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection. Certainly not a sub-par career, but it would have been interesting to see what Oglesby could have accomplished with a clean bill of health.
Rivals Re-Ranking: ***
Kevin Rouse, a heavily-recruited middle linebacker from Illinois, flipped his commitment from Iowa to Wisconsin in December of 2006 after an official visit. Expectations were high, but Rouse redshirted in 2007, didn't see action in 2008 due to a torn labrum and played sparingly in 2009 and 2010. In June of 2010, Rouse was arrested and accused by police of felony substantial battery in relation to an altercation in an alley.
Rivals Re-Ranking: **
Another prospect the Badgers were able to flip in this class, Blake Sorensen was committed to Northwestern before Wisconsin took the upper-hand in October of 2006. It also happened to come on the heels of the Wildcats' 41-9 loss to the UW at Camp Randall Stadium. Sorensen proved ready to play right away and saw action on special teams in 12 games in 2007. As a senior, he started 11 contests, led the team in tackles and tied for second in interceptions.
Rivals Re-Ranking: ***
The only quarterback Wisconsin took in this class turned out to be a bust. James Stallons was actually recruited out of high school by former head coach Paul Chryst and picked UW over offers from Miami of Ohio and Eastern Michigan. Stallons missed the Champs Sports Bowl in 2008 due to academic issues and pursued a transfer the following spring. He continued his career at Division 2 Grand Valley State.
Rivals Re-Ranking: **
Nick Toon was the first commitment for Bielema in the 2017 class, not surprising considering his father's (Al Toon) connection to the university. The four-star prospect's career may not have lived up to the highest of expectations some had for him, but Toon certainly wasn't a disappointment. He started 20 games over his final two years and finished third in school history with 2,447 career receiving yards and 171 career receptions. Toon was selected in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints.
Rivals Re-Ranking: ****
Wisconsin originally landed Phil Welch as a greyshirt but a full scholarship opened up just days after Signing Day in 2007. It certainly worked out well for the Badgers, as the Colorado native earned four letters at Wisconsin, including a freshman season where he was a first-team All-American, according to the Sporting News, CollegeFootballNews.com, Phil Steele and FWAA. After his graduation, Welch was the Big Ten leader in career extra points made with 207 and held a UW record with 211 extra points attempted and .981 extra point percentage (min. 50 attempts).
Rivals Re-Ranking: ***
SUPERLATIVES
Top recruit: I'd argue this class didn't have a true star. But the top recruit was likely Clay, who was productive when healthy.
Best surprise: The coaches probably didn't envision Butrym being a key cog on the defensive line for two Rose Bowl teams.
Biggest bust: Landingham was probably the biggest bust, but it certainly would have been interesting to see what he could have accomplished had he stayed at safety.
Wanted to see more from: Goins probably had enough talent to be a multi-year starter at Wisconsin.
Rivals.com class rank: No. 34
States represented (9): Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Texas, Colorado and New York.
Decommitted: Brandon Brooks (Miami of Ohio), C.J. Peake (Louisville)
Transferred: James Stallons (Grand Valley State), Jasper Grimes (Eastern Michigan), Otis Merrill (Illinois State), Mario Goins (West Texas A&M), Zach Brown (Pittsburgh), Quincy Landingham (Miami of Ohio) and Daven Jones (Eastern Kentucky).
NFL Draft Picks: *JJ Watt, **Russell Wilson, Nick Toon
First-Team All-Americans: Watt
*JJ Watt transferred from Central Michigan to Wisconsin.
*Russell Wilson transferred from N.C. State to Wisconsin.
THE STAFF
Bret Bielema - Head coach
Paul Chryst - Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks
Mike Hankwitz – Defensive coordinator
Dave Doeren – Co-defensive Coordinator/inside linebackers/recruiting coordinator
Bob Bostad – Tight ends/run game coordinator
Kerry Cooks – Defensive backs
Del Alexander – Wide receivers
Randall McCray – Defensive line
Bob Palcic – Offensive line
John Settle – Running backs
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