It has been a surprising few days for Wisconsin on the class of 2024 recruiting trail, to say the least. First, three-star cornerback Vernon Woodward flipped to Big Ten rival Illinois. Second, in-state tight end Rob Booker decommitted and quickly announced his pledge to future Big Ten rival UCLA.
Luke Fickell’s first full class as head coach now ranks No. 19 on 247Sports.com after losing the two recruits. The class is down to 14 total commitments.
The biggest takeaway from the recent news is the trend of in-state recruits going elsewhere. Wisconsin currently does not have a commitment from any of the top six recruits from the state in the class. All six are headed to other Big Ten schools, the last with UCLA once it joins the conference after the 2023 season.
That has not been the case for any class in recent memory. Wisconsin has long dominated its home state, even after coaching changes are made. I’m not raising alarm bells, as each player is a unique situation and some of this stagnation may have to do with Wisconsin’s previous regime.
But it is a trend to note nonetheless. Here is each of the state of Wisconsin’s top six recruits in the class of 2024 and where they are committed to play: