How the Wisconsin Football Team Found its New Body Type

Madison, Wis. – The Wisconsin football staff and coach Luke Fickell are eager to build their new team, even if it takes a little extra searching to do so.

Since coach Fickell has become a full-time head coach in 2017, his recruiting presence has been known. The exceptional coach is not just a talented recruiter either, but a precise one as well. With his calculated recruiting approach, the Wisconsin football team might be able to take their game to the next level.

Wisconsin Badgers Focused On Size, Strength Of Recruiting Targets

During his time as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats, coach Luke Fickell landed 14 four-star recruits and transfers. Between 2017-2022, Fickell landed a four-star recruit or transfer in every recruiting class. The former Bearcats head coach also made multiple splashes for the team before leaving the program to lead the Wisconsin football staff. While some of the players did not stay with the program after coach Fickell left, there are some similarities between those recruits and the ones that have joined Wisconsin.

Coach Fickell brought in one of the most impressive recruiting classes of his coaching career before leaving the Bearcats program. Within the verbal commitments he landed, Fickell brought in four-star defensive back Daeh McCullough. McCullough was the highest rated defensive commitment in program history before flipping and signing with the Oklahoma Sooners. The most intriguing part of McCullough is not his ranking, but his size and aggressive play style.

McCullough measures in at 6-foot-2-inches, 200-pounds and is listed as a safety. The versatile defensive back can play multiple positions on defense and provides excellent coverage over the middle of the field. While McCullough did not sign with the Bearcats, in the 2022 recruiting class, Fickell landed five defensive backs who were all over six feet tall and 180-pounds. On the offensive side as well, Fickell landed three offensive linemen who are all above 6-feet-5-inches tall. Now, the exceptional recruiter has turned his attention to the Wisconsin football team with the plan of doing the same.

Luke Fickell Wants a Certain Mold For His Wisconsin Football Players, But Who Fits It?

During this current recruiting cycle coach Luke Fickell and his staff have made some impressive moves. Fickell and company have landed the 24th ranked transfer class with 14 recruits, according to 247 Sports. Now, the Badgers have the 15th ranked recruiting class in 2024 with 13 hard commitments and counting. There was no doubt that recruiting success was going to follow coach Fickell, but the calculated success has followed him as well.

At tight end, Fickell has landed both Grant Stec and Rob Booker, who come in at 6-foot-5-inches and 220-pounds each. With nearly identical frames, Booker and Stec are game changing receivers that can certainly add a new dynamic to the passing game. Booker is transitioning from his natural position of wide receiver, but still has plenty of potential as a tight end. Stec is a strong, sure-handed recruit who is bound to make a difference for the Wisconsin football team in the future. Along with their receiving threats, Fickell has also landed Kevin Heywood and Derek Jensen, who are 6-foot-7-inches and 6-foot-6-inches respectively.

The trend has continued for Fickell on the defensive side of the ball as well. The most recent commitment for the Wisconsin football team, Raphael Dunn, stands at 6-foot-4-inches and uses every bit of his size on the football field.

It is certainly not a coincidence that physical freaks continue to land with teams led by coach Luke Fickell. Now, in his first-year with the Wisconsin Badgers football program, Fickell expects to do more of the same.

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