Wisconsin football’s 2024 recruiting train has been on a roll the last few weeks. The class is up to No. 19 in the nation thanks to four four-star commitments since the beginning of July.
The latest came from four-star running back Dilin Jones, a top-200 player in the class and one of the top running backs in the country. Jones’ primary recruiter was safeties coach Colin Hitschler, a new assistant under Luke Fickell who has had a tremendous influence on this class.
247Sports credits Hitschler with seven of Wisconsin’s 20 commitments in the class. Those players are Jones (Maryland), four-star offensive tackle Kevin Haywood (Pennsylvania), four-star cornerback Omillio Agard (Pennsylvania), three-star safety Raphael Dunn (New Jersey), three-star interior offensive lineman Ryan Cory (Pennsylvania), three-star safety Kahmir Prescott (Pennsylvania) and three-star running back Gideon Ituka (Maryland).
That effort is enough for the Wisconsin assistant to rank No. 13 in 247Sports’ recruiter rankings. The top 10 is tough to crack: Alabama, Georgia, Penn State, Ohio State, USC and Florida assistants occupy many of the top spots. But this is Hitschler’s first cycle with Wisconsin, so a finish this high is a tremendous sign.
.@CoachHitsch now ranks No. 12 in the 247sports recruiter rankings.
His seven commits are tied for second most nationally.https://t.co/55WiKclSpN #Badgers pic.twitter.com/EL7C7WN7xB
— Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) July 14, 2023
The story of Hitschler’s recruiting cycle is domination in the East. He has landed two players from Maryland, four from Pennsylvania and one from New York. Wisconsin is obviously a program built on the state and its neighboring areas. But there is a hot talent bed along the Northeast Corridor. Consistantly landing top players from that area could elevate Wisconsin further.