The college football world was sent for a spin over the last 48 hours with Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley going to USC and Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly taking the job at LSU.
The long-reaching impact of those moves would take months to explain and lay out. But for now, there is a direct Wisconsin connection to note.
First off, the Badgers play the Fighting Irish in 2026. That game figures to be a bit of a better matchup for Wisconsin without Kelly there, though a lot will ride on who is hired to take over in South Bend.
More importantly: Notre Dame is now forced to scramble a bit on the recruiting trail with the 2022 cycle already moving fast.
One player Notre Dame and Wisconsin have been battling for is in-state interior offensive lineman Billy Schrauth. Notre Dame recently figured to be the favorites to land the Fond Du Lac native, though that now changes completely with Kelly gone.
Possible Wisconsin-related Brian Kelly-to-LSU impact:
Notre Dame is a significant player for in-state 2022 4-star IOL Billy Schrauth (maybe was even the favorite). I assume that changes a bit with Kelly going south.
— Ben Kenney (@benzkenney) November 30, 2021
Schrauth would be a critical addition to Wisconsin’s class of 2022 if he were to commit. The class currently sits No. 42 in the nation and No. 9 in the Big Ten Conference.
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