DT Anttaj Hawthorne — Class of 2001 five-star signee
Photo by Joe Robbins-USA TODAY Sports (c) 2005 by Joe Robbins
A player that Barry Alvarez once called “the best defensive lineman I have ever coached,” starts our Mount Rushmore of recruiting for Wisconsin football.
The 2001 recruiting class was highlighted by Anttaj Hawthorne, the top player in the state of Connecticut that year and at the time the highest-ranked signee in the modern recruiting era for Wisconsin. A four-year varsity starter at Hamden High School, the former Badger was invited to the first-ever All-American Bowl as a senior.
After playing nose tackle as a true freshman in Madison, Hawthorne made the move to left defensive tackle as a sophomore and started 41 consecutive games from that point on.
He finished his career No. 6 on Wisconsin’s all-time tackles for loss list with 42, and would go on to be a sixth-round pick of the Oakland Raiders in 2005. Despite only two NFL seasons, Hawthorne found success in the Arena Football League with the Arizona Rattlers where he won three consecutive championships from 2012-2014.