Tag: wisconsin recruiting

Wisconsin in contact with talented in-state class of 2026 point guard

Wisconsin in contact with talented in-state class of 2026 point guard

The Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball has reportedly been in contact with Deuce Burkes, a 6-foot-3, 175-pound class of 2026 point guard from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Burkes has been getting a lot of attention as of late, hearing from major programs like Kentucky, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. To this point, he has picked up three Division 1 offers from Nebraska, Grambling State and SIU Edwardsville.

As of now, Burkes doesn’t carry a recruiting ranking, though that’s likely because he is just a sophomore at Milwaukee Academy of Science. Considering his general size and the level of interest he has garnered to this point, Burkes appears to be on track to being on more programs’ radars moving forward.

Wisconsin has yet to receive any commitments for their class of 2026, though that comes as no surprise considering how far away that season is. The Badgers have offered just three players in the class entering today, but Burkes could be one the program offers down the road.

Wisconsin’s class of 2025 currently ranks No. 7 in the nation with two players committed: three-star center Will Garlock and four-star shooting guard Zach Kinziger.

Report: Wisconsin class of 2025 commit to visit Ohio State

Ohio State working to flip a Wisconsin class of 2025 commit:

Wisconsin class of 2025 commit Cody Haddad is visiting Ohio State on Thursday, according to a report from 247sports.

Haddad committed to the Badgers back on January 17. Ohio State offered the fast-rising athlete after that date, and now reportedly lands a visit.

The three-star recruit plays all over the field at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio, but he would likely play safety for the Badgers if his commitment holds.

Haddad’s extensive offer list now includes Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Duke, Cincinnati and Nebraska. Ohio State, Iowa, Texas A&M, Minnesota and Michigan State all pitched their offer to Haddad in the immediate days following his Wisconsin commitment.

The impressive athlete currently plays safety, wide receiver, kick returner and punt returner for his high school team. He also showcased his athletic prowess in track, where he recorded a 22.28 in the 200-meter as a sophomore. 

His father, Drew Haddad, was a 7th Round pick in the 2000 NFL Draft of the Buffalo Bills and is enshrined in the University of Buffalo’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Wisconsin’s class of 2025 currently has nine commitments, including Haddad, and ranks No. 9 in the nation at this early stage in the process.

Wisconsin first D-1 program to offer class of 2026 edge defender

Wisconsin first D-1 program to offer class of 2026 edge defender

Wisconsin football extended an offer to class of 2026 edge defender Tucker Ashford Tuesday evening.

The Badgers are Ashford’s first D-1 offer according to 247Sports. The Texas native is currently unranked on the recruiting service, though the 2026 recruiting cycle is still in its infancy.

Related: Pre-spring bold predictions for the 2024 Big Ten football season

Wisconsin now has 70 reported offers in the class of 2026. The 2025 cycle is just beginning to heat up with the summer months fast approaching, meaning it’ll be another year at least until many of the 2026 prospects verbally commit.

The 2025 and 2026 cycles are important for Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell as he continues to work to craft his program. The Badgers impressively finished the 2024 cycle at No. 25 in the nation with a blue chip ratio of 50%. Fickell will need to keep up those marks in 2025 and 2026 for the Badgers to start sniffing the top of the Big Ten.

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Wisconsin offers highly-touted 2025 running back from New Jersey

Wisconsin offers highly-touted 2025 running back from New Jersey

Wisconsin extended an offer to four-star class of 2025 running back John Forster on Friday.

Forster is 247Sports’ No. 303 player in the class of 2025, No. 26 running back and No. 9 recruit from his home state of New Jersey.

The highly-touted running back also holds offers from schools including Rutgers, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Tennessee.

Related: Big Ten starting quarterback rankings for 2024

Wisconsin’s class of 2025 currently ranks No. 9 nationally with seven commitments. The Badgers took three running backs in the class of 2024, plus another from the transfer portal, so I’d expect more scarcity in the 2025 group.

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Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion. Follow Ben Kenney on X.

Wisconsin’s class of 2024 just crossed an important threshold

Was Luke Fickell’s first full class a success?

Wednesday marks the official end of the 2024 recruiting cycle, meaning the conclusion of Luke Fickell’s first full recruiting cycle as head coach at Wisconsin.

The Badgers’ 2024 group finishes the cycle ranked 23rd in the nation and seventh in the new-look Big Ten. It is a clear step forward after years of recruiting stagnation under former head coach Paul Chryst.

The group has been known for months. It is headlined by top-100 offensive tackle Kevin Haywood, four-star running back Dilin Jones, four-star interior offensive lineman Emerson Mandell and four-star defensive lineman Ernest Willor. However, there was an update worth noting this week.

Related: Where each Wisconsin Badgers signee finished in final class of 2024 recruiting rankings

Linebacker Thomas Heiberger picked up a fourth star on 247Sports.com, giving the Badgers 11 four-star recruits in the class. That means 11 blue-chippers were among the 22 signees.

For those interested in the importance of that detail, Bud Elliott breaks it down. No team with a full roster talent composite under the 50% threshold has ever won the national championship.

Some have come close (TCU in 2022 and Washington in 2023), but none has done it.

Does this mean Wisconsin will start competing for national championships? Likely not. The roster still has a ways to go before it cracks the 50% threshold.

But this was Fickell’s first full cycle in Madison. This group offers the promise that better classes might be on the horizon, classes that hopefully begin to crack the nation’s top 15. That would mean a sizable increase of talent on the roster and the possibility that Wisconsin enters the territory Michigan was in last year, which was good enough to win it all.

Much must go right for Fickell and his staff on and off the field. But I’ve talked endlessly about the importance of the blue chip percentage and Wisconsin’s need for more star talent on the roster. I’d be foolish to not point out the Badgers just hit the 50% threshold in a class for the first time.

Wisconsin class of 2024 signee now a blue-chip recruit on 247Sports.com

Impressed with Luke Fickell’s class of 2024?

Wisconsin class of 2024 signee Thomas Heiberger was given a fourth star on the 247Sports composite this week, making him Wisconsin’s No. 11 blue-chip recruit in the class.

The inside linebacker is now 247Sports’ No. 456 player in the class, No. 40 linebacker and No. 1 player from his home state of South Dakota.

Related: Where each Wisconsin Badgers signee finished in final class of 2024 recruiting rankings

He committed to Wisconsin back in April 2023, choosing the Badgers over Big Ten programs including Nebraska, Illinois and Purdue. His fourth star keeps him as the 8th highest-ranked signee in Wisconsin’s class, and No. 1 linebacker.

Wisconsin’s class of 2024 as a whole ranks No. 23 nationally and No. 7 in the new Big Ten.

Heiberger is among eight Wisconsin signees who enrolled early and are on campus for the offseason program. It appears he’s already making a positive impact.

Where each Wisconsin Badgers signee finished in final class of 2024 recruiting rankings

National Signing Day update for the Badgers’ class of 2024:

Luke Fickell’s first full recruiting class as head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers finished No. 24 nationally and No. 7 in the new Big Ten.

The class as a whole is a success for Fickell and his staff. They addressed positions of need as their systems continue to be implemented, secured another promising young quarterback, Mabrey Mettauer, and added important talent on the defensive line. Pair the high school class with a loaded transfer class that may drive the 2024 team’s success, and I’d call it a positive offseason as we begin the Fickell era.

Of course, the Wisconsin head coach will be judged on the results on the field and not just on the recruiting trail. But there is a direct correlation between recruiting success and on-field wins. Let’s hope this class signals more of the latter in the near future.

With the class signed and the 2024 cycle complete, here is where every Wisconsin signee finished in final 2024 recruiting rankings:

BREAKING: Wisconsin lands an experienced transfer portal defensive lineman

Wisconsin lands an experienced transfer portal defensive lineman

Wisconsin added to its transfer portal haul yet again this afternoon, this time landing a commitment from former Albany defensive lineman Elijah Hills.

Hills committed to the FCS Albany Great Danes program as an unranked recruit in the class of 2021. He transfers to Wisconsin with three years of collegiate experience, all at the FCS level.

The Moorestown, New Jersey native put together an impressive 2023 campaign, notching 27 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. That came after playing limited time as a true freshman in 2021 and a productive 2022 campaign.

The 6-foot, 2-inch, 280-pound defensive lineman will join a rotation at Wisconsin that lost Rodas Johnson, Darian Varner and others this offseason. It may be one of the weaknesses on the team, and has been a clear focus of Luke Fickell and his staff both in the portal and in high school recruiting.

Hills is the 13th member of Wisconsin’s transfer class that now is well within the top 15 nationally.

Badger commit set to remain in MN for final HS season

Freitag announced that he will remain in his home state for his final year of high school, instead of heading to Southern California Academy

Daniel Freitag, a four-star class of 2024 guard from Bloomington, Minnesota committed to Wisconsin in early June. Freitag announced Sunday that he will remain in his home state for his final year of high school basketball, instead of heading to Southern California Academy as he’d previously declared.

Freitag will attend Breck School in Golden Valley, Minnesota in 2023-2024. When it comes to the Badgers, this is a positive result. If he were to have went out to the west coast, there’d likely have been a higher chance that he could decommit.

The 6-foot-2 two-sport athlete has also been recruited by the football team in Madison, something that he hasn’t ruled out also pursuing. As is, Freitag represents the fifth-highest rated recruit in Wisconsin men’s basketball history.

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Wisconsin WBB adds class of ’24 commit

The Wisconsin WBB team gained their second class of 2024 commitment in 6-foot-4 forward Alie Bisballe from Lake City High School in Michigan

The Wisconsin women’s basketball team gained its second class of 2024 commitment Wednesday, adding 6-foot-4 forward Alie Bisballe from Lake City High School in Michigan.

Bisballe led her high school to a 24-2 record and district championship this past year, averaging 11.1 points per game during her junior campaign. She added 7.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.8 blocks and 1.8 steals per contest.

This is a massive recruiting win for head coach Marisa Moseley and her staff in Madison as Bisaballe selected her squad over more than a dozen other Division I offers.

The forward joins Notre Dame (Green Bay) guard Gracie Grzesk in the Badgers’ class of 2024.