BOOM: Wisconsin Football Lands Commitment From RB Gideon Ituka

BOOM: Wisconsin Football Lands Commitment From RB Gideon Ituka

Madison, Wis. – Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin football program added their first running back in the 2024 recruiting class on Saturday afternoon. 

After making a trip to Wisconsin for the first time for “The Launch” and taking an official visit this past weekend, three-star running back Gideon Ituka, out of Gaithersburg, Maryland, announced his commitment to the Badgers over the likes of Boston College, Liberty, Maryland, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee, Toledo, and several other schools.

SEALED DEAL 1000% COMMITTED!! 🔴⚪️🦡@jgpvisuals #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/ci5lsjHoPy

— Gideon Ituka 🇨🇲 (@GideonItuka25) June 17, 2023

According to the industry-generated 247Sports composite rankings, Ituka is the No. 933 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, the No. 78 RB, and the No. 23 player in Maryland.

“Really seeing the city and the atmosphere for the first time, it really felt like home for me,” Ituka told 247Sports. “My family loved it; I loved it. We had a great time here. The coaches made it a great time. Meeting the players, it seemed like a family.”

Assistant coaches Devon Spaling and Colin Hitschler (shocker) acted as the primary recruiters for the Maryland native. 

As a junior at Gaithersburg High School, the 5-foot-10, 220-pound tailback carried the ball 153 times for 1,106 yards (7.2 YPC) and 16 touchdowns, according to MaxPreps. He also caught seven passes for an additional 104 yards receiving. 

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What is Wisconsin Football Getting With Gideon Ituka?

Gideon Ituka is a big-bodied tailback with a slightly different skillset than most of the recruits the Wisconsin football coaching staff has targeted throughout this cycle.

In Ituka, the Badgers are getting a patient runner with good vision, and although he doesn’t have high-end speed, he’s a strider with enough juice to break off some big runs when the hogs in the trenches give him room to operate.

The three-star RB comes from a spread, zone-running scheme similar to what the Badgers will run under the new regime, so it’s easy to see where and how he fits into their long-term plans schematically.

For someone his size, you’d like to see him stay between the tackles more and use his strength to his advantage because his film indicates his preference is to get outside. That said, Ituka has an excellent stiff arm that he uses to create space and extend plays and should make for a nice complimentary back that can develop into a meaningful contributor.

Wisconsin football is expected to take two running backs in this class, so don’t be surprised to see the coaching staff pair him with a smaller, one-cut runner with some juice.

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