Down the stretch they come
With Wisconsin picking up two pledges this past weekend in defensive tackle Garrett Rand and cornerback Ke’Shan Pennamon, the Badgers have 20 verbal commitments in the current cycle. The final few spots are at a premium, meaning the staff has had to reshuffle its recruiting board just a bit.
The biggest domino to fall was Armunz Mathews and his cancelled official visit to Wisconsin. The three-star prospect was supposed to be on campus this weekend, but he and the staff mutually decided to push it back to a later date. While Mathews, a very soft commit to South Florida, appears confident about making it back to Madison this fall, we’re hearing there’s a strong chance the staff has moved on. There’s a few reasons for this:
No. 1) Therran Coleman is a legit option for the staff and a “take” no matter what, according to a source. The current Pittsburgh commit visited officially last weekend and plans to use his other allotted visits.
No. 2) The staff is willing to wait on K.J. Sails, who was on campus this past weekend. The three-star corner from Florida gave off strong vibes — much like Rand did — that the Badgers were his leader. Sails is likely the No. 2 option at corner behind Coleman, though Carlos Becker is also a big priority for the staff as well. Iowa and Wisconsin are believed to be Sails’ top choices, though he’s looking to take his final three officials.
No. 3) Three (3) may no longer be the magic number at corner, according to a source, after some reshuffling on the current roster. Lubern Figaro (safety) and Caleb Kinlaw (running back) have both moved over to corner to provide some needed depth, and the staff also feels very good about true freshman Titus Booker. With three of the top four cornerbacks set to return this spring — Sojourn Shelton, Derrick Tindal and Natrell Jamerson — Wisconsin may only need two cornerbacks (ideally Pennamon and Sails), though they would take Coleman, or someone else who is very high on its board, if the fit was right.
A need for another safety, though, may have risen. Eric Burrell, who could play either spot in the defensive backfield, is the top option, while the staff is still in touch with Rutgers commit Patrice Rene, among others.
Moving to the other side of the ball, we do know the Badgers are still actively looking for another lineman. Four-star Michael Alves included the Badgers in his top five, but in a recent message to BadgerBlitz.com, he indicated a disconnect with the staff.
“I set one (official visit) up for Oregon this weekend and I’m trying to get one for UCLA and Wisconsin, but I’m having trouble getting in contact,” Alves said.
Now, it could certainly be a situation of a simple missed connection during a busy time of the year, or it could indicate position coach Joe Rudolph feels good about a certain prospect. Alaric Jackson and Matt Farniok are known targets, but there’s not much evidence that either is a strong lean to the Badgers at this point.
Should recruiting on the offensive line drag out, Josh Mueller and Airon Servais are both in-state options to watch down the stretch. Both have taken unofficial visits this fall.
Odds and Ends
*There was talk Wisconsin made recent contact with in-state Iowa commit Toren Young, though the two-star prospect denied those reports. The Badgers appear set at running back in this class with Corey Clement almost guaranteed to come back for his senior season.
*Wisconsin recently made contact with 2016 guard Frankie Hughes, though an official visit has yet to be secured.
*With power forwards Justin Smith and Goanar Mar both on campus this weekend, the staff elected to hand out an offer to Smith. Smith’s camp has spoke very highly of the Badgers since this summer, and UW is likely now a legit contender in his recruitment.
With Wisconsin picking up two pledges this past weekend in defensive tackle Garrett Rand and cornerback Ke’Shan Pennamon, the Badgers have 20 verbal commitments in the current cycle. The final few spots are at a premium, meaning the staff has had to reshuffle its recruiting board just a bit.
The biggest domino to fall was Armunz Mathews and his cancelled official visit to Wisconsin. The three-star prospect was supposed to be on campus this weekend, but he and the staff mutually decided to push it back to a later date. While Mathews, a very soft commit to South Florida, appears confident about making it back to Madison this fall, we’re hearing there’s a strong chance the staff has moved on. There’s a few reasons for this:
No. 1) Therran Coleman is a legit option for the staff and a “take” no matter what, according to a source. The current Pittsburgh commit visited officially last weekend and plans to use his other allotted visits.
No. 2) The staff is willing to wait on K.J. Sails, who was on campus this past weekend. The three-star corner from Florida gave off strong vibes — much like Rand did — that the Badgers were his leader. Sails is likely the No. 2 option at corner behind Coleman, though Carlos Becker is also a big priority for the staff as well. Iowa and Wisconsin are believed to be Sails’ top choices, though he’s looking to take his final three officials.
No. 3) Three (3) may no longer be the magic number at corner, according to a source, after some reshuffling on the current roster. Lubern Figaro (safety) and Caleb Kinlaw (running back) have both moved over to corner to provide some needed depth, and the staff also feels very good about true freshman Titus Booker. With three of the top four cornerbacks set to return this spring — Sojourn Shelton, Derrick Tindal and Natrell Jamerson — Wisconsin may only need two cornerbacks (ideally Pennamon and Sails), though they would take Coleman, or someone else who is very high on its board, if the fit was right.
A need for another safety, though, may have risen. Eric Burrell, who could play either spot in the defensive backfield, is the top option, while the staff is still in touch with Rutgers commit Patrice Rene, among others.
Moving to the other side of the ball, we do know the Badgers are still actively looking for another lineman. Four-star Michael Alves included the Badgers in his top five, but in a recent message to BadgerBlitz.com, he indicated a disconnect with the staff.
“I set one (official visit) up for Oregon this weekend and I’m trying to get one for UCLA and Wisconsin, but I’m having trouble getting in contact,” Alves said.
Now, it could certainly be a situation of a simple missed connection during a busy time of the year, or it could indicate position coach Joe Rudolph feels good about a certain prospect. Alaric Jackson and Matt Farniok are known targets, but there’s not much evidence that either is a strong lean to the Badgers at this point.
Should recruiting on the offensive line drag out, Josh Mueller and Airon Servais are both in-state options to watch down the stretch. Both have taken unofficial visits this fall.
Odds and Ends
*There was talk Wisconsin made recent contact with in-state Iowa commit Toren Young, though the two-star prospect denied those reports. The Badgers appear set at running back in this class with Corey Clement almost guaranteed to come back for his senior season.
*Wisconsin recently made contact with 2016 guard Frankie Hughes, though an official visit has yet to be secured.
*With power forwards Justin Smith and Goanar Mar both on campus this weekend, the staff elected to hand out an offer to Smith. Smith’s camp has spoke very highly of the Badgers since this summer, and UW is likely now a legit contender in his recruitment.
