Pittsburgh transfers eyeing Wisconsin
In the 2014 recruiting class, Wisconsin signed running backs Taiwan Deal and Caleb Kinlaw, both of whom were recruited by former position coach Thomas Hammock.
In that same class, the Badgers also showed strong interest in Chris James, who ended up at Pittsburgh. The two Panthers’ coaches who recruited him -- Paul Chryst and Joe Rudolph -– are now back on staff at Wisconsin. And James, who is currently looking at transfer options, according to a source, could wind up in Madison, reunited with the current head coach and offensive coordinator, respectively, for the Badgers.
Friday evening, a source indicated James intended on transferring and that Wisconsin was a top choice early in the process. The source indicated a desire for more playing time and a location closer to his hometown of Niles, Ill., as the primary reasons.
A 5-foot-11, 210-pound true sophomore, James rushed for 437 yards and four touchdowns in 2014 but just 247 yards this fall. He was listed on the depth chart behind starter Qadree Ollison (also a big target for Wisconsin in the 2014 class) with Darrin Hall also pushing for more carries.
Wisconsin, which battled depth issues at tailback all fall, makes a lot of sense for James, who would have to sit out the 2016 season. Corey Clement and Dare Ogunbowale have one more game left before entering their senior campaigns, leaving James to compete with Taiwan Deal and Bradrick Shaw for time in the spring of 2017. During his recruitment, James took a handful of unofficial visits to Madison, so there’s also a familiarity there.
Should James transfer, it may also allow Chryst to sign just one running back in this class, though he would likely take two if it came from the top group of Kyle Porter, C.J. Freeman, George Hill and Khaleke Hudson.
James, according to the same source, isn’t the only player to watch from Pittsburgh. Sophomore safety Patrick Amara, who has officially announced his intent to transfer, is also looking at Wisconsin. The Badgers showed interest in Amara, another prospect from the 2014 class, coming out of high school but did not offer.
Starting safeties Tanner McEvoy and Mike Caputo are playing their final game as Badgers later this month. Wisconsin is set to sign three safeties in this class but doesn’t have a lot of depth on the current roster. As it stands, Leo Musso, Joe Ferguson, Arrington Farrar and D’Cota Dixon are the only scholarship safeties expected to be in spring camp this March. Lubern Figaro worked at corner this fall but could bump back over to safety if needed.
Amara, 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, found himself behind freshman Jordan Whitehead this season and is likely looking for an opportunity to play more.
"Pat was playing a decent amount," Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said. "Everybody wants to be a starter and everybody wants more playing time. I think he sees No. 9 (Whitehead) playing in front of him and those honors he's gotten and knows he's just going to keep getting better. That happens."
Freeman decision set for Tuesday
Three-star running back C.J. Freeman is expected to announce his decision Tuesday evening. The current South Carolina commit has Wisconsin, Louisville, Georgia Southern and the Gamecocks in his final group.
While four schools are in the mix, we’re told UW and S.C. are the top options for Freeman. The Badgers sent Chryst and position coach John Settle down to North Carolina over the past two weeks for in-home visits which, according to Freeman, went very well.
While the Badgers like where they stand, we’re hearing there’s a good chance Freeman sticks with his pledge to South Carolina. He’s coming off an official visit to Columbia and has made a connection with new head coach Will Muschamp. Northern Guilford head coach Johnny Roscoe also has strong ties to the Gamecocks program and was inducted to the South Carolina Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame on Saturday night. Roscoe has won 300 games and five state titles (four in North Carolina, one at Hartsville, South Carolina) in 37 years at Hartsville, S.C., Lancaster, S.C. and three schools in North Carolina.
Depending on Freeman’s decision, the Badgers may be forced to extend more offers at tailback. Next in line could be Illinois commit Kentrail Moran, though, we’re told, the staff will regroup and evaluate their options after Tuesday.
No. 22 on the way?
We’re working on getting Dontye Carriere-Williams on the phone after his official visit. But in the meantime, according to his most recent Twitter post, things went extremely well.
According to a source, the Badgers didn’t put pressure on Carriere-Williams to commit while on campus, but encouraged the three-star cornerback to take some time to think about his options with his family. That said, UW feels very good about flipping the current Cincinnati commit sooner rather than later.
In the 2014 recruiting class, Wisconsin signed running backs Taiwan Deal and Caleb Kinlaw, both of whom were recruited by former position coach Thomas Hammock.
In that same class, the Badgers also showed strong interest in Chris James, who ended up at Pittsburgh. The two Panthers’ coaches who recruited him -- Paul Chryst and Joe Rudolph -– are now back on staff at Wisconsin. And James, who is currently looking at transfer options, according to a source, could wind up in Madison, reunited with the current head coach and offensive coordinator, respectively, for the Badgers.
Friday evening, a source indicated James intended on transferring and that Wisconsin was a top choice early in the process. The source indicated a desire for more playing time and a location closer to his hometown of Niles, Ill., as the primary reasons.
A 5-foot-11, 210-pound true sophomore, James rushed for 437 yards and four touchdowns in 2014 but just 247 yards this fall. He was listed on the depth chart behind starter Qadree Ollison (also a big target for Wisconsin in the 2014 class) with Darrin Hall also pushing for more carries.
Wisconsin, which battled depth issues at tailback all fall, makes a lot of sense for James, who would have to sit out the 2016 season. Corey Clement and Dare Ogunbowale have one more game left before entering their senior campaigns, leaving James to compete with Taiwan Deal and Bradrick Shaw for time in the spring of 2017. During his recruitment, James took a handful of unofficial visits to Madison, so there’s also a familiarity there.
Should James transfer, it may also allow Chryst to sign just one running back in this class, though he would likely take two if it came from the top group of Kyle Porter, C.J. Freeman, George Hill and Khaleke Hudson.
James, according to the same source, isn’t the only player to watch from Pittsburgh. Sophomore safety Patrick Amara, who has officially announced his intent to transfer, is also looking at Wisconsin. The Badgers showed interest in Amara, another prospect from the 2014 class, coming out of high school but did not offer.
Starting safeties Tanner McEvoy and Mike Caputo are playing their final game as Badgers later this month. Wisconsin is set to sign three safeties in this class but doesn’t have a lot of depth on the current roster. As it stands, Leo Musso, Joe Ferguson, Arrington Farrar and D’Cota Dixon are the only scholarship safeties expected to be in spring camp this March. Lubern Figaro worked at corner this fall but could bump back over to safety if needed.
Amara, 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, found himself behind freshman Jordan Whitehead this season and is likely looking for an opportunity to play more.
"Pat was playing a decent amount," Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said. "Everybody wants to be a starter and everybody wants more playing time. I think he sees No. 9 (Whitehead) playing in front of him and those honors he's gotten and knows he's just going to keep getting better. That happens."
Freeman decision set for Tuesday
Three-star running back C.J. Freeman is expected to announce his decision Tuesday evening. The current South Carolina commit has Wisconsin, Louisville, Georgia Southern and the Gamecocks in his final group.
While four schools are in the mix, we’re told UW and S.C. are the top options for Freeman. The Badgers sent Chryst and position coach John Settle down to North Carolina over the past two weeks for in-home visits which, according to Freeman, went very well.
While the Badgers like where they stand, we’re hearing there’s a good chance Freeman sticks with his pledge to South Carolina. He’s coming off an official visit to Columbia and has made a connection with new head coach Will Muschamp. Northern Guilford head coach Johnny Roscoe also has strong ties to the Gamecocks program and was inducted to the South Carolina Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame on Saturday night. Roscoe has won 300 games and five state titles (four in North Carolina, one at Hartsville, South Carolina) in 37 years at Hartsville, S.C., Lancaster, S.C. and three schools in North Carolina.
Depending on Freeman’s decision, the Badgers may be forced to extend more offers at tailback. Next in line could be Illinois commit Kentrail Moran, though, we’re told, the staff will regroup and evaluate their options after Tuesday.
No. 22 on the way?
We’re working on getting Dontye Carriere-Williams on the phone after his official visit. But in the meantime, according to his most recent Twitter post, things went extremely well.
According to a source, the Badgers didn’t put pressure on Carriere-Williams to commit while on campus, but encouraged the three-star cornerback to take some time to think about his options with his family. That said, UW feels very good about flipping the current Cincinnati commit sooner rather than later.
