THE HEADLINERS
T.J. Bollers was one of the most intriguing campers heading into Saturday and the rising junior from Iowa performed like someone who already had nine scholarship offers. At 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, Bollers may be a touch below what the Badgers are looking for at defensive end, but he’s an explosive athlete off the edge who plays with a high motor. He definitely looks like the part and is a vocal guy on the field.
Defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield was able to spend a lot of time with Bollers, who also has offers from Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Michigan State and Virginia Tech, among others. He did struggle at times when engaged with bigger offensive linemen, but Bollers was very good from start to finish Saturday.
All-state performer Hunter Wohler was another camper who came in with an offer from UW already in hand. This setting doesn’t feature one of Wohler’s best qualities - his ability to come up and stop the run and finish tackles. But I thought he looked extremely athletic in the back-end while working closely with coordinator Jim Leonhard.
According to a source, Wohler, from Muskego High School, has one or two more camps coming up this summer before he shuts that down. The biggest question is if Wohler grows into a linebacker, but he’s run as low as high 4.5s (40-yard dash) during his sophomore year. He looked plenty fast Saturday and could probably handle either safety spot at the next level.
The same source indicated Michigan State and Wisconsin were currently running well in Wohler’s recruitment. He was set to spend the rest of the day with Leonhard and we feel very good about our initial FutureCast prediction to UW.
Finally, JP Benzchawel, the first (and currently only) commit in Wisconsin’s 2021 class, participated in camp. With older brother, junior tight end Luke Benzschawel, looking on, the younger brother showed why Rudolph offered so early in the process.
Benzschawel is a lean 270 pounds and has a great frame to add more good weight down the road. He certainly wasn’t perfect, but when Benzschawel was good, it really showed. He has above average footwork and picks things up quickly. Once Rudolph made a correction in his stance or technique, Benzschawel was able to quickly apply the correction. There’s a ton to like about Benzschawel and it will be fun to watch him develop over the next two seasons before arriving in Madison.
CALIFORNIA TRIO SHINES
Credit assistant coach Bobby April for getting three big-time prospects from California on campus this weekend for camp. Saturday, the staff was able to work with 2021 defensive end Jason White, 2021 defensive back Robert Reagan and 2022 offensive Zachary Miller from Orange Lutheran High.
Reagan, who also has offers from Oregon, LSU, Florida and Arizona State, looks the a no-brainer in terms of an offer. He has great ball skills and is a lightning quick. White, who worked exclusively at defensive end, had an up and down camp. That could be due to his primary position being offensive line, but he still had some flashes. The upside is there, so a scholarship from Wisconsin wouldn't be all that surprising.
Miller is just in his beginning stages but he’s a big kid at about 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds.
WITT WORKS AT OUTSIDE LINEBACKER
Maybe the surprise of the day was Aaron Witt working at outside linebacker instead of defensive end. At 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, Witt, a former Minnesota commit, worked exclusively under April with the linebackers before taking a few tight end reps at the end of camp.
With a commitment already in from Cole Dakovich and a few other high-priority outside linebackers on UW’s official visitor list, end seemed like a better chance for Witt to earn offer. Maybe that changed with Cade McDonald’s commitment but for now, Witt appears to be pegged at outside backer.
As far as his ability, Witt may not have that ideal bend to play standing up on the edge. But he was strong at the point of attack and moved pretty well in space. It will be interesting to see how things with the Badgers look moving forward.
FEW OFFENSIVE LINEMEN DRAW RUDOLPH’S PRAISE
While keeping a close eye on Benzschawel to start, it began clear there was another lineman witn an “A” on his helmet who was performing well. That turned out to be Noah Pappas, a 6-foot-6, 305-pound prospect from Armstrong High School in Minnesota. He looked to be all of his listed height and weight, as Pappas absolutely engulfed opposing defenders a few times during one-on-one drills.
Pappas, who has one Division 1 offer from South Dakota, looks very much like a future right tackle. He garnered a good deal of praise from Rudolph during and after camp. With five linemen already committed in the 2020 class, it will be interesting to see how Wisconsin handles his recruitment. Pappas has strong academics, so a preferred walk-on offer, at minimum, would make a lot of sense.
From inside the state, I liked Milwaukee Marquette’s Langston Robinson quite a bit. He’s stocky at about 6-foot-2 and 280 pounds, but Robinson is a load when he locks into the defender because he keeps such a low base. I would have liked to have seen him take some reps at nose guard, but Rudolph was more than happy with what he saw on his end.
Finally, I thought Indiana lineman Jason Swarens had a very good camp. He destroyed Bollers on one rep towards the end of camp and has the size (6-foot-5, 275 pounds) to play at the Division 1 level.
KEEP AN EYE ON ACKER
Benzschawel, Wohler and Brookfield Central’s Hayden Nelson are the early gems from Wisconsin’s 2021 in-state class. But keep a close eye on Jackson Acker, who was arguably the top running back at camp. He’s a thick kid at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, and Acker carries that weight well as a powerful runner. Acker, who visited at least twice this spring, is also one of the best throwers (track and field) in the state.
***EDIT: Acker was offered moments after this report went live***
ODDS AND ENDS
*Official visitor Jordan Turner took in the beginning part of camp before heading back to Michigan. Assistant Ted Gilmore spent some time with the three-star linebacker, as well as staff member Saeed Khalif.
*John Settle and Thomas Hammock, the new head coach at Northern Illinois, spent a good amount of time talking before camp. Those two likely have some great stories about past UW running backs.
*Bobby Engram was in Madison to help his son, 2019 signee Dean Engram, settle in to campus.
*2020 commit Ben Barten was a spectator at camp with his parents.
*Zack Baun, Spencer Lytle, Chris Orr, Graham Mertz, Tyler Biadasz, Jason Erdmann, Matt Hennigson and a few other current Badgers all helped with camp.
*In-state defensive back Nate Valcarcel ran very well Saturday. He feels like Wisconsin’s interest will really pick up once he improves his ACT score.
*Behind Acker, Donovan Hunt (Brookfield East) was probably the second most impressive running back at camp. He's pretty well put together.
*In-state receiver Conner Wnek ran very good routes and displayed great hands. The Kimberly standout may have been the best wide out at camp.
*I also liked Bay Port defensive lineman Max Meeuwsen. He’s undersized but was one of the better lineman at camp.
*Coaches from Western Illinois, North Dakota, Minnesota Duluth, and a few others were at camp.
T.J. Bollers was one of the most intriguing campers heading into Saturday and the rising junior from Iowa performed like someone who already had nine scholarship offers. At 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, Bollers may be a touch below what the Badgers are looking for at defensive end, but he’s an explosive athlete off the edge who plays with a high motor. He definitely looks like the part and is a vocal guy on the field.
Defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield was able to spend a lot of time with Bollers, who also has offers from Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Michigan State and Virginia Tech, among others. He did struggle at times when engaged with bigger offensive linemen, but Bollers was very good from start to finish Saturday.
All-state performer Hunter Wohler was another camper who came in with an offer from UW already in hand. This setting doesn’t feature one of Wohler’s best qualities - his ability to come up and stop the run and finish tackles. But I thought he looked extremely athletic in the back-end while working closely with coordinator Jim Leonhard.
According to a source, Wohler, from Muskego High School, has one or two more camps coming up this summer before he shuts that down. The biggest question is if Wohler grows into a linebacker, but he’s run as low as high 4.5s (40-yard dash) during his sophomore year. He looked plenty fast Saturday and could probably handle either safety spot at the next level.
The same source indicated Michigan State and Wisconsin were currently running well in Wohler’s recruitment. He was set to spend the rest of the day with Leonhard and we feel very good about our initial FutureCast prediction to UW.
Finally, JP Benzchawel, the first (and currently only) commit in Wisconsin’s 2021 class, participated in camp. With older brother, junior tight end Luke Benzschawel, looking on, the younger brother showed why Rudolph offered so early in the process.
Benzschawel is a lean 270 pounds and has a great frame to add more good weight down the road. He certainly wasn’t perfect, but when Benzschawel was good, it really showed. He has above average footwork and picks things up quickly. Once Rudolph made a correction in his stance or technique, Benzschawel was able to quickly apply the correction. There’s a ton to like about Benzschawel and it will be fun to watch him develop over the next two seasons before arriving in Madison.
CALIFORNIA TRIO SHINES
Credit assistant coach Bobby April for getting three big-time prospects from California on campus this weekend for camp. Saturday, the staff was able to work with 2021 defensive end Jason White, 2021 defensive back Robert Reagan and 2022 offensive Zachary Miller from Orange Lutheran High.
Reagan, who also has offers from Oregon, LSU, Florida and Arizona State, looks the a no-brainer in terms of an offer. He has great ball skills and is a lightning quick. White, who worked exclusively at defensive end, had an up and down camp. That could be due to his primary position being offensive line, but he still had some flashes. The upside is there, so a scholarship from Wisconsin wouldn't be all that surprising.
Miller is just in his beginning stages but he’s a big kid at about 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds.
WITT WORKS AT OUTSIDE LINEBACKER
Maybe the surprise of the day was Aaron Witt working at outside linebacker instead of defensive end. At 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, Witt, a former Minnesota commit, worked exclusively under April with the linebackers before taking a few tight end reps at the end of camp.
With a commitment already in from Cole Dakovich and a few other high-priority outside linebackers on UW’s official visitor list, end seemed like a better chance for Witt to earn offer. Maybe that changed with Cade McDonald’s commitment but for now, Witt appears to be pegged at outside backer.
As far as his ability, Witt may not have that ideal bend to play standing up on the edge. But he was strong at the point of attack and moved pretty well in space. It will be interesting to see how things with the Badgers look moving forward.
FEW OFFENSIVE LINEMEN DRAW RUDOLPH’S PRAISE
While keeping a close eye on Benzschawel to start, it began clear there was another lineman witn an “A” on his helmet who was performing well. That turned out to be Noah Pappas, a 6-foot-6, 305-pound prospect from Armstrong High School in Minnesota. He looked to be all of his listed height and weight, as Pappas absolutely engulfed opposing defenders a few times during one-on-one drills.
Pappas, who has one Division 1 offer from South Dakota, looks very much like a future right tackle. He garnered a good deal of praise from Rudolph during and after camp. With five linemen already committed in the 2020 class, it will be interesting to see how Wisconsin handles his recruitment. Pappas has strong academics, so a preferred walk-on offer, at minimum, would make a lot of sense.
From inside the state, I liked Milwaukee Marquette’s Langston Robinson quite a bit. He’s stocky at about 6-foot-2 and 280 pounds, but Robinson is a load when he locks into the defender because he keeps such a low base. I would have liked to have seen him take some reps at nose guard, but Rudolph was more than happy with what he saw on his end.
Finally, I thought Indiana lineman Jason Swarens had a very good camp. He destroyed Bollers on one rep towards the end of camp and has the size (6-foot-5, 275 pounds) to play at the Division 1 level.
KEEP AN EYE ON ACKER
Benzschawel, Wohler and Brookfield Central’s Hayden Nelson are the early gems from Wisconsin’s 2021 in-state class. But keep a close eye on Jackson Acker, who was arguably the top running back at camp. He’s a thick kid at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, and Acker carries that weight well as a powerful runner. Acker, who visited at least twice this spring, is also one of the best throwers (track and field) in the state.
***EDIT: Acker was offered moments after this report went live***
ODDS AND ENDS
*Official visitor Jordan Turner took in the beginning part of camp before heading back to Michigan. Assistant Ted Gilmore spent some time with the three-star linebacker, as well as staff member Saeed Khalif.
*John Settle and Thomas Hammock, the new head coach at Northern Illinois, spent a good amount of time talking before camp. Those two likely have some great stories about past UW running backs.
*Bobby Engram was in Madison to help his son, 2019 signee Dean Engram, settle in to campus.
*2020 commit Ben Barten was a spectator at camp with his parents.
*Zack Baun, Spencer Lytle, Chris Orr, Graham Mertz, Tyler Biadasz, Jason Erdmann, Matt Hennigson and a few other current Badgers all helped with camp.
*In-state defensive back Nate Valcarcel ran very well Saturday. He feels like Wisconsin’s interest will really pick up once he improves his ACT score.
*Behind Acker, Donovan Hunt (Brookfield East) was probably the second most impressive running back at camp. He's pretty well put together.
*In-state receiver Conner Wnek ran very good routes and displayed great hands. The Kimberly standout may have been the best wide out at camp.
*I also liked Bay Port defensive lineman Max Meeuwsen. He’s undersized but was one of the better lineman at camp.
*Coaches from Western Illinois, North Dakota, Minnesota Duluth, and a few others were at camp.
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