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.
No. 1: Athlete Da'Shaun Brown
Previous Rank: 1
The Word: Da'Shaun Brown, who is being recruited as an athlete, was the first in-state junior to pick up an offer from Wisconsin this fall. A quarterback in high school, Brown, who is also hearing from Minnesota, Iowa and Norte Dame, among others, currently has UW atop his top of potential schools.
"They're (Wisconsin) at the top right now," Brown, who recently picked up an offer from Iowa, told BadgerBlitz.com.
This fall, Brown passed and rushed for well over 1,000 yards in each department and had 34 total touchdowns.
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No. 2: Offensive tackle Bryce Benhart
Offers: Iowa State, Minnesota, Northwestern, UCLA, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin
Previous Rank: 2
The Word: Minnesota offensive tackle Bryce Benhart, who has kept his recruitment relatively quiet, picked up an offer from Wisconsin after a strong camp performance in June. He returned to campus earlier this fall for UW's win against Utah State and was also in town for the Badgers' win over Michigan.
"The Badgers are very high on the list," Bryce's father, Gene, told BadgerBlitz.com. "We are impressed with everything top to bottom. He is a fit for what they are looking for in both a person and a player."
Wisconsin would love to pair Benhart with current commits Logan Brown and Joe Tippmann in the 2019 class.
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No. 3: Tight end Hayden Rucci
Offers: Boston College, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Syracuse, West Virginia and Wisconsin, among others
Previous Rank: 4
The Word: Hayden Rucci is arguably Wisconsin's top uncommitted tight end target in 2019. The Penn State legacy made his first visit to Madison in early June and returned last month for the Badgers' win over Michigan.
"My family and I got in mid-afternoon Friday, so we were able to check out practice and meet with the coaches," Rucci told BadgerBlitz.com. "It was awesome meeting Coach (Paul) Chryst and talking with him. Saturday morning we got to experience College GameDay in the snow, which was super cool - I love snow. We watched an awesome game while witnessing history for the Badgers.
"Afterwards in the locker room we talked more with Coach Chryst and Coach (Mickey) Turner. I got to exchange phone numbers with (Troy) Fumagalli, which was super cool. Last night (Saturday) my family and I went to the Wisconsin vs. Michigan hockey game, which was great to see. I got a real feel for the Madison experience.
"They’re definitely one of my top schools right now. I don’t have any sort of top-schools list, but they are definitely a top contender."
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