Badger fans might want to carve some time out of their days to tune into today’s U.S. Army All-American Bowl, an annual showcase of elite high school players set to kick off at noon CT on NBC.
While the inclusion of prized class of 2020 offensive tackle signees Trey Wedig and Jack Nelson in the event would be enough reason on its own for the Wisconsin faithful to have their eyes on the game, it’s the scheduled announcement of uncommitted 4-star running back Jalen Berger that should have them glued to the screen this afternoon.
The nation’s No. 11 player at his position and No. 109 overall prospect according to the 247Sports composite rankings is set to announce his college commitment during the second quarter of today’s game. The five hats on the table for Berger will be Wisconsin, UCLA, Rutgers, LSU and Penn State, but the Ramsey, N.J. native stated earlier this week that he will be deciding between the Badgers and Bruins.
Based on how this recruitment has been trending lately, Wisconsin fans should be in store for some great news today. The Badgers are the current 247Sports Crystal Ball leader to land the dynamic running back’s pledge, and those forecasts tend to be accurate more often than not in my experience following recruiting. Should things go as expected for Paul Chryst and company, the addition of Berger would fill the one remaining hole in an otherwise spectacular 2020 class.
That being said, it’s worth noting that Wisconsin will likely still have to fight to keep Berger in the class even if he dons that Badger cap today. He has stated that he doesn’t plan on signing until National Signing Day on Feb. 5, and it is expected that his other suitors will continue to work on getting him into their respective classes in the ensuing weeks until then.
This is especially true of Rutgers, as new head coach Greg Schiano quickly cemented the Scarlet Knights as a major threat to keep Berger home in New Jersey once he took the gig, to the point where it was pretty surprising that the four-star back didn’t mention them alongside Wisconsin and UCLA as the schools at the very top of his list in terms of his announcement today. Expect Rutgers to make the Badgers sweat a little as they try to keep Berger in this class before he makes his commitment official with a signature.