Tag: Emerson Mandell

Wisconsin has taken the state of Minnesota’s No. 1 recruit in three of the last five years

An enjoyable trend is unfolding on the recruiting trail…

Wisconsin is a program that will always pride itself on in-state recruiting. It is a belief that has some concerned about the program’s class of 2024, as all of the top six in-state recruits committed elsewhere.

Yes, each situation is unique. And Luke Fickell has ample time to correct that trend entering the 2025 cycle as he continues to make his mark as head coach.

But one emerging storyline from the last five years of Wisconsin football is an expansion of the western border of the state into nearby Minnesota. The addition of 2024 four-star OL Emerson Mandell yesterday made it that Wisconsin has now landed the No. 1 player from the state of Minnesota for three of the last five years.

It’s hard to say what the careers of Mandell and the two players also listed below will ultimately hold. But at the least, it’s a positive sign that the Badgers still reign supreme in the region.

Here are the three top players Wisconsin has landed from its rival state:

Wisconsin lands 2024’s top-ranked recruit from the state of Minnesota

A huge recruiting win for Luke Fickell

Sound the horns, Luke Fickell just went into Minnesota and took the state’s best player in the class of 2024. His name is Emerson Mandell, a four-star offensive lineman from Saint Paul, Minnesota.

It’s one of the first huge recruiting wins for Fickell and his staff. After seeing the top six in-state recruits go elsewhere, taking Minnesota’s top player away from P.J. Fleck and the Golden Gophers is no small feat.

Related: Wisconsin was the beneficiary of one of the greatest commitment switch-ups of all time

The now-Wisconsin commit is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 294 player in the class of 2024, the No. 24 iOL and, again, the No. 1 recruit from his home state of Minnesota.

The commitment is Wisconsin’s No. 16 in a class that currently ranks No. 26 nationally. Mandell slots in as the third highest-ranked player, behind four-star OT Kevin Haywood and four-star TE Grant Stec.

Something to note: this marks the third time in the last five classes Wisconsin has taken the No. 1 player in Minnesota (Riley Mahlman in 2021, Kaden Johnson in 2020).

Wisconsin offers four-star offensive lineman from Minnesota

The Badgers offered Emerson Mandell, a four-star interior offensive lineman from St. Paul, Minnesota on Thursday.

The Badgers offered Emerson Mandell, a four-star interior offensive lineman from St. Paul, Minnesota on Thursday. The 6-foot-5, 295-pound athlete is only a junior at Irondale High School and is a member of the class of 2024.

Mandell has now received 14 Division 1 offers, including seven from within the Big Ten, though Ohio State and Michigan are yet to offer him. With three-star quarterback Mabrey Mettauer heading to Wisconsin in 2024, the Badgers are certainly interested in Mandell.

As a school that has produced NFL talents like hall of famer Joe Thomas, All-Pro center Travis Frederick and stars like Ryan Ramczyk on the offensive line, Mandell should definitely consider Luke Fickell and Wisconsin.

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Texas A&M offers 2024 3-Star OL Emerson Mandell

Out of St. Paul, Minnesota, Texas A&M has fielded an offer to 2024 3-star offensive lineman Emerson Mandell

Out of nearly every 2024 offer Texas A&M has fielded to any recruit in the cycle, branching out all the way to St. Paul, Minnesota, and offering 3-star offensive lineman Emerson Mandell has to be my absolute favorite.

The Aggies are in the very early building stages of their 2024 recruiting class already signing three four-star recruits including defensive end Dealyn Evans, offensive lineman Ashton Funk, and wide receiver Debron Gatling, while also landing a commitment from highly underrated three-star quarterback prospect Anthony Maddox.

With the need to continue building the O-line for the near or distant future, Jimbo Fisher opted to retain offensive line coach Steve Adazio for 2023, believing that Adazio’s failures to develop a cohesive offensive line last season were just a fluke, knowing that recruiting the right athletes no matter how many stars they receive next to their name is the only way to build a line that will hopefully resemble what we saw during the 2020 season.

Emerson Mandell, standing at 6-5, 295 lbs, is a straight mauler at the guard postion, possessing the size, finesse, and play strength to potentially move outside to tackle, he is dripping potential in the interior at the next level. Currently ranked as the 3rd player in Minnesota, Mandell has mostly received offers from Big 12 and Big 10 programs, until the Aggies finally offered him on Friday.

Hopefully, a visit is being arranged as we speak, and good luck to Emerson during the rest of his exciting recruiting journey!

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty

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