FootBall

Wisconsin Football Lives Rent Free in P.J. Fleck’s Head

Published

5 months ago

January 4, 2023

In December, Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck decided national signing day, a day supposed to be about his incoming players, was an excellent time to throw shade at Wisconsin football and their new staff publicly for “negative recruiting.”

This claim comes in reference to UW offering and attempting to flip Minnesota’s three-star defensive line commit — Martin Owusu.

One of my favorite insights from today that many coaches need to consider in recruiting – what you say to recruits will come to light 👀#Gophers HC PJ Fleck also discussed Martin Owusu who was a spark for this class. pic.twitter.com/3J6QjQlA19

— Kane Rob (@4KaneRobVideo) December 21, 2022

“Wisconsin even came in and tried to flip him early — he showed me all the text messages of them doing everything they can to negative recruit, negative recruit, negative recruit to flip us,” Fleck told reporters. “It didn’t work; we axed it.

“That’s what’s great; you get to see all the text messages. That’s the best part of negative recruiting; you get to see all these grown men negative recruit in text messages. It’s beautiful. I appreciate everybody sharing those with us because we don’t negative recruit.”

P.J. Fleck is Charmin Soft

P.J. Fleck couldn’t help himself; this egotistical loser had to make the most important day of his incoming recruits’ lives about him and steal their spotlight.

Negative recruiting tactics have existed since the beginning of time. It’s quite literally the job of recruiting departments to sell themselves and, in some cases, show why they’re a better option than other schools a player is considering.

In the case of Wisconsin — they’re objectively a better football program than Minnesota — why wouldn’t you exploit that?

The Gophers have tallied just one double-digit win season since 2005 and finished ranked once. On the other hand, UW recorded 10 double-digit win seasons in the same time-frame and fished ranked 12 times.

I’d probably fire the head of my recruiting department if they didn’t point out the stark contrast of success between the rival universities over the past two decades (you know, the time these kids have been alive).

I’ll give credit to coach Fleck for beating Wisconsin the past two seasons — Paul Bunyan’s Axe is a big deal between these bitter rivals — that matters. However, it would be gross negligence on my end if I didn’t at least point out that he inherited a 9-4 program at UM and has led them to a 26-26 (.500) winning percentage in Big Ten play across six seasons.

They’ve also never won a Big Ten West title or appeared in the conference championship during his tenure. Additionally, the Goofs haven’t made a NY6 bowl game during P.J. Fleck’s reign and the Badgers have made two (Orange Bowl/Rose Bowl) since 2017.

His crowning achievement as head coach of the Minnesota Gophers is going 3-3 vs. Wisconsin.

In closing, P.J. Fleck is Charmin soft, and Wisconsin football lives rent-free in his head.

Wisconsin Football HC Luke Fickell Responds to PJ Fleck’s ‘Negative Recruiting’ Claims

Luke Fickell chose not to take the bait when speaking with UW reporters. He did, however, state that he doesn’t negative recruit.

“I know nothing about (that),” Fickell said. “I won’t negative recruit. I’m not saying that somebody didn’t call, I know maybe (we) reached out to somebody. But I wouldn’t think that we would have said anything negative about a guy going anywhere. And we’ve got plenty of positive to say about what it is we do.

“Some people say, ‘Well, that’s recruiting.’ I don’t think that’s recruiting. We got enough good things to say about the program here and the things that we want to do, and where we’re headed to worry about saying anything negative about anybody else. So I don’t get involved in a lot of the negative recruiting stuff. Whether people say it about us or they say we say it about them. Really focus on the things that we do and the positive things that we’ve got going for us.”

Wisconsin Badgers HC Luke Fickell Is a Helluva Salesman

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FootBall

Former Wisconsin Football RB Named to CFB Hall of Fame Ballot

Published

5 hours ago

June 7, 2023

Jake Maier

Sep 15, 2012; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Montee Ball (28) during the game against the Utah State Aggies at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin defeated Utah State 16-14. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Madison, Wis. –The 2024 College Football Hall of Fame ballot has been released, and a Wisconsin football legend is among the names on the list.

Montee Ball, who was with Wisconsin from 2010-2012, was among 78 players and nine coaches selected for the ballot.

Ball is among the most decorated players in Wisconsin history. The Badger legend received two first-team All-American nominations, along with winning the Doak Walker Award. He also received Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2011.

Ball placed himself in the NCAA record books when he tied with Barry Sanders for the most single-season TDs in NCAA history with 39 during the 2011 season and secured the NCAA record for most single-season points with 236. The Badger legend is also the only player in history to rush for 100 yards in three straight Rose Bowl games.

Ball amassed 5,255 yards and 79 touchdowns throughout his three years at UW. His best statistical season came in 2011 when the Wisconsin legend rushed for 1,923 yards and 33 touchdowns. On top of that, Ball hauled in 24 receptions for 306 yards and six touchdowns in the same season.

Denver would select the former Badger in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft, where he spent two years as a Bronco.

Other Wisconsin Football HOF Representatives

The Wisconsin football program currently has four players and one coach in the CFB Hall of Fame. Barry Alvarez was the first Badger to enter the HOF when he was selected in 2010. Ron Dayne (2013), Tim Krumrie (2016), Joe Thomas (2019), and Troy Vincent (2023) round out the rest of the list.

Ball stands out in the 2024 class due to the sheer volume of his accolades. When voting wraps up, I expect the Wisconsin legend to be among those inducted.

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FB Recruiting

Wisconsin Football Lands 2024 Three-Star Interior Offensive Lineman

Published

16 hours ago

June 6, 2023

Jake Maier

Madison, Wis. – The Wisconsin football program has picked up its fourth commit in the last three days, with three-star offensive lineman Ryan Cory coming on board.

The news comes just an hour after four-star OT Kevin Heywood announced his commitment to Wisconsin.

Cory took to Twitter to announce his commitment.

Committed. @CoachFick @CoachBicknell @CoachPhilLongo @CaseyRabach_61 @RivalsFriedman @adamgorney @BrianDohn247 @outerlim @210ths @Coach_LeDonne #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/iEuQLDQm0J

— Ryan Cory (@RyanCory15) June 7, 2023

Wisconsin beat out offers from Pitt, Vanderbilt, Cincinnati, Oregon, Rutgers, and many more. Cory was set to visit Pittsburgh and Vanderbilt in the coming weeks.

According to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, Cory is the No. 778 player in the nation, the No. 50 interior offensive lineman, and the No. 24 player in Pennsylvania.

What Ryan Cory brings to the Wisconsin football program

Cory is coming off a remarkable junior season. The 6-foot-4, 290-pound lineman received First-Team All-Conference honors and earned a state championship win.

Looking at his film, there’s a lot to like about his upside. Cory is fearless in creating contact against defenders at the second level while putting out some key blocks for his tailback. His hand speed and placement also stand out.

In pass-blocking reps, the 6-foot-4, 290-pound lineman is a brick wall. Cory can easily contain power moves from opposing linemen with his strength. He rarely gets off balance and consistently creates leverage against defenders.

Cory will be an excellent depth piece for the offensive line while he works on his craft. If the Pennsylvania native can refine his technique a bit more, he could be an impactful lineman for Wisconsin.

Cory joins Kevin Heywood and Derek Jensen as linemen to commit to UW. The Wisconsin football program now holds 12 commitments in the 2024 cycle.

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FB Recruiting

Wisconsin Football Lands 2024 Four-Star Offensive Lineman Commit

Published

17 hours ago

June 6, 2023

Jake Maier

Wisconsin football stadium: Camp Randall

Sep 10, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers mascot Bucky Badger prior to the game against the Washington State Cougars at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Madison, Wis. – The Wisconsin football program has picked up a commitment from one of the nation’s premier offensive linemen.

Four-star OT Kevin Heywood took to Twitter to announce his commitment to Wisconsin.

Committed. @CoachFick @CoachBicknell @CoachHitsch @CoachPhilLongo @BCstrength @PatLambert13 @_maximus347 @nolanrucci @CullenLCasey @CaseyRabach_61 @MikeWakins pic.twitter.com/QuASQN786M

— Kevin Heywood (@KevHeywood52) June 6, 2023

UW beat out offers from some juggernaut programs, including Alabama, Georgia, Penn State, Michigan, USC, and many more.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Heywood is the No. 266 player in the nation, the No. 25 OT, and the No. 5 player in Pennsylvania.

The four-star prospect began his official visit to Wisconsin on June 2nd. He was slated to take officials to Kentucky, Auburn, and USC in the coming weeks. Instead, Heywood decided to commit to the Wisconsin football program on the same weekend.

The Badgers missed out on multiple in-state offensive linemen to Penn State early in the 2024 cycle. Because of that, securing multiple offensive linemen quickly became a priority for UW, and they were able to poach a top player out of Pennsylvania.

What Kevin Heywood brings to the Wisconsin football program

The first thing that jumps out for Heywood is his frame. Standing at 6-foot-7, 280-pound, Heywood stands out in his class, and he uses his size well. He consistently gets his hands at pad level and is able to drive defenders off of the line of scrimmage.

The Pennsylvania native thrives in pass pro. With his size, he’s a brick wall on the offensive front who can easily stop rushers in their tracks.

Heywood is a prototypical Wisconsin offensive lineman. His skill set could make him an immediate difference-maker on UW’s offensive front.

With the commitment, the Wisconsin football program holds 11 commits in the 2024 cycle. Heywood joins in-state OT Derek Jensen as the sole offensive line commits in the 2024 cycle.

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