Wisconsin Football Firmly in the Mix for Three 2024 Running Back Targets

Madison, Wis. – The Wisconsin football program has been on fire on the recruiting trail as of late. 

UW currently holds 14 commitments and, as a result, has been climbing up the recruiting boards. As it stands, the Badgers have the No. 14 recruiting class in the nation, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.

Wisconsin is yet to pick up a running back commitment in the 2024 cycle, but the program has remained firmly in the running for three prospects. 

Here’s a look at where UW stands with their 2024 tailback targets.

Wisconsin football target, four-star RB Darrion Dupree

Wisconsin has heavily recruited the Chicagoland area under Luke Fickell thus far, picking up commitments from Illinois standouts like Grant Stec and Kyan Berry-Johnson. Another one of their top targets, Darrion Dupree, also hails from the area.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Dupree is the No. 366 player in the country, the No. 32 running back, and the No. 8 player in Illinois.

The four-star tailback has had Wisconsin at the top of his list for some time now. Dupree took two unofficial visits to Madison before his official on June 2nd. The standout from Mount Carmel is slated to visit Missouri in the coming weeks, but Wisconsin is still seemingly leading the pack.

Multiple recruiting services have submitted predictions for UW to land the 5-foot-10, 190-pound running back. Dupree is considered the top running back target in the cycle for UW, and a commitment would be big for the program with Braelon Allen and Chez Mellusi on the way out.

Three-star RB Gideon Ituka

After a successful official visit last weekend, Wisconsin is the team to beat for Gideon Ituka. 

According to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, Ituka is the No. 964 player in the nation, the No. 78 running back, and the No. 23 player in Maryland. The three-star tailback has picked up offers from Maryland, Syracuse, Boston College, and Charlotte, among others. 

Ituka told 247Sports that Wisconsin “hit a home run” during his official visit. After that, recruiting services quickly submitted predictions for UW to land the three-star tailback. 

Ituka announced on Twitter that he will be committing on Saturday. Rumors surrounding his recruitment indicate that all signs point to the three-star prospect committing to Wisconsin.

I will be announcing my commitment this Saturday June 17th at 2:30pm est time 1:30pm cst‼️

— Gideon Ituka 🇨🇲 (@GideonItuka25) June 15, 2023

Wisconsin football target, four-star RB Dilin Jones

Jones, a top-15 running back, has kept details of his recruitment largely under wraps. There is little information on what school he is leaning toward, but Wisconsin is in the mix.

The four-star prospect was one of the top performers at the Under Armour All-American Camp in May. Jones said Wisconsin, Maryland, Virginia Tech, and Florida State were his top options after the camp. 

Jones will be in Madison this weekend for an official visit. It’s worth noting that the standout from Good Counsel has no other officials lined up.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Jones is the No. 175 player in the nation, the No. 13 running back, and the No. 4 player in Maryland. 

Although Wisconsin is expected to only take two running backs in the 2024 cycle, Jones would be a player that would be very hard to pass up if the interest is there.

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