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.
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No. 1: Running back Jahmir Smith
Offers: Nebraska, Notre Dame, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Princeton, Purdue, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Cal, among others
Previous Rank: 1
The Word: Jahmir Smith, who rushed for 2,130 yards and 41 touchdowns as a junior at Lee County High School, retains the top spot in the Sweet 16 for the second month in the a row. The North Carolina native was on campus from March 13-14 and was told by the staff that he's a "high priority" target.
"The coaches just said I was a top priority for them in this class," Smith told BadgerBlitz.com. "Coach (John) Settle and coach (Paul) Chryst were really cool and funny. Coach Settle is really laid back and chill.
"I really liked what I saw on the visit and Wisconsin is a great option. I really didn't expect it to be that nice, but I knew they had great academics coming in."
Look for Smith to narrow his focus at some point this spring.
No. 2: Quarterback Carter Bradley
Offers: Colorado State, East Carolina, Indiana, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Temple, Toledo, Wyoming and Wisconsin, among others
Previous Rank: N/A
The Word: It appears almost certain head coach Paul Chryst wants to add a second quarterback in the 2018 class to pair with three-star Ben Bryant. Carter Bradley, who was offered in January, was on campus last Friday for the Badgers spring game. At this point, UW and Pittsburgh are believed to be his top two schools.
"I’m going to keep my eyes open, take some visits, go through this process once and make the most of it," Bradley told Rivals.com. "After that, I’m looking at probably committing some time in September, but we’ll see.”
No. 3: Tight end Jaylan Franklin
Top 5: Michigan State, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Kentucky and Vanderbilt
Previous Rank: N/A
The Word: After he visited and picked up an offer earlier this month, Jaylan Franklin, who Wisconsin likes at tight end, included the Badgers in his top five. Northwestern is still believed to be the school to beat, but UW closed the gap quite a bit.
"The Wisconsin coaches said I run well and they are willing to have me on the team because they feel like I can make the team better," Franklin told BadgerBlitz.com. "I'm excited to be a tight end at Wisconsin because it's usually one of the best places to be if you play tight end. I'm very excited to try it.
"No other schools have talked about tight end with me. Most want me play outside linebacker and some at wide receiver, but none at tight end."
The offer to Franklin would also appear to indicate that Wisconsin will fall short with both Jeremy Ruckert and George Takacs, both of whom currently have UW in this top groups, respectively.
