Breaking down the Wisconsin Badgers 2021 recruiting class by position
National Signing Day saw the University of Wisconsin football team bring in its highest-rated class in the internet rankings era.
The Badgers secured players who have a chance to make immediate impacts, from a couple of big-play receivers, a stout crew of linebackers, another crop of standout linemen and a few other notables.The Badgers’ class was ranked No. 15 by Rivals and ESPN, and No. 16 by 247Sports as of mid-afternoon Wednesday.
UW, with all 21 of its known recruits signed, surpassed Michigan as the No. 2 class in the Big Ten Conference on ESPN, but not the other sites.
Here’s a breakdown of UW’s class, featuring Badgers offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph and defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard giving their takes on position groups and players.
—Colten Bartholomew
QUARTERBACK
Number of players: 1
Who are they: Deacon Hill (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
Quick analysis: Hill has a strong arm and shown enough in camps to rise to a four-star recruit on Rivals. Competition level is a question mark at the high school level, but he’s got the tools to be a good college quarterback.
Rudolph’s thoughts on Hill: Quarterbacks coach Jon Budmayr “identified him really early. We thought he had great arm strength when you compared him to the best players in the country who were out there. We thought he was right there from the jump. … We really liked him, we felt personality-wise the people that surrounded him and supported him, how he worked, all those things were a great fit for us.”
RUNNING BACK
Number of players: 3
Who are they: Jackson Acker (Madison), Loyal Crawford (Eau Claire), Antwan Roberts (Nashville, Tenn.)
Quick analysis: There’s been talk about Acker switching positions at the college level, but UW listed him as a running back Wednesday. Acker didn’t play in the fall due to COVID-19, but he has shown a good mix of speed and power as a ball carrier. … Crawford has a James White-level ceiling as a third-down back and the most shiftiness of the bunch. … Roberts has explosion and proven ability to run through tackles.
Rudolph’s thoughts on the group: “I think they’re all kind of unique. Jackson’s a guy that obviously would have position flexibility, but he kind of is explosive. … Then you see Loyal, and Loyal’s got great speed, great change of direction, a chance for a home run hitter. I think he’s got great quicks in and out and, again, I think all these guys, we’ll find out exactly where they’re at when they come in, but I think guys that are just really good football players as well. … Antwan, what he does to this point, complete back and had a great senior year.”
WIDE RECEIVER
Number of players: 2
Who are they: Skyler Bell (Bronx, N.Y.), Markus Allen (Clayton, Ohio, expected to sign Wednesday evening)
Quick analysis: The Badgers landed two players who possess good speed and agility at arguably the biggest position of need in the class. … Bell has a suddenness to his cuts that makes him dangerous as a receiver and returner. … Allen shows good ball skills when making contested catches and great body control.
Rudolph’s thoughts on Bell, who wasn’t able to visit campus before committing: “I just think you take the time to reach out. Whether it was Zoom meetings with him and his family, or whether it was phone calls, you took the time to be able to answer questions that pop up in their minds. I think those things are always huge.”
TIGHT END
Number of players: 1
Who are they: Jack Pugh (Columbus, Ohio)
Pugh
Quick analysis: He has long strides that help him cover a lot of ground and he’s shown an array of route-running skills from both an on-line and split-out positions.
Rudolph’s thoughts on Pugh: “Jack played his first year of football last year. This was his second year. Really a guy that was a hoop player that jumped into it. Watching his film, I thought he was really physical for a guy that hadn’t played football. He was physical at D-end as well as tight end. I think he’s got the ability to separate. I think he’s got really a lot of speed and explosiveness.”
OFFENSIVE LINE
Number of players: 3
Who are they: JP Benzschawel (Grafton), Riley Mahlman (Lakeville, Minn.), Nolan Rucci (Lititz, Pa.)
Quick analysis: The Badgers are set up to continue churning out great O-lines for years to come after an impressive haul of linemen in 2019. … Benzschawel is the third of his brothers to come to UW, and he’s shown great power and strength as a blocker. … Mahlman might be the most athletic of the bunch, having played tight end for a time in high school and as a basketball standout. … Rucci, the lone five-star recruit in the class, has all the tools to become an All-American tackle.
Rudolph’s thoughts on the group: “I think they’re big, athletic guys that you have to have as defenses are pretty darn athletic and being able to keep up with them. … I think those guys match in their work ethic and their mind-set, I think they’ll make a major impact here.”
DEFENSIVE LINE
INSIDE LINEBACKERS
OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS
SECONDARY
As featured on
State Journal beat reporters Colten Bartholomew, Jim Polzin and Todd Milewski get together over Zoom to discuss Badgers’ men’s basketball and both hockey programs as they head toward tournament time.
Recruits' lack of tape and head-to-head competition, as well as program's recruiting tactics, have the Badgers a bit behind some Big Ten counterparts.
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