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Wisconsin Football Makes Cut For 4-Star EDGE Rusher, Mordecai Impressing, More

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2 months ago

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Wisconsin Football
Sep 17, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; A Wisconsin Badgers cheerleader carries the Wisconsin flag during the game against the New Mexico State Aggies at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been a busy couple of days for the Wisconsin football program, ladies and gents, but fear not because BadgerNotes can help get you back up to speed with a roundup of some important news you may have missed.

Wisconsin Badgers Make the Cut for 4-Star EDGE Rusher 

The Wisconsin football program has slowly but surely begun creating a small pipeline at St. Louis High School in Hawaii. A relationship that started with Nick Herbig and Trech Kekahuna could include another standout from their former high school if the Badgers play their cards right. 

This past week, four-star EDGE rusher Anelu Lafaele out of Honolulu, Hawaii, released a top seven list of Arizona State, Hawaii, Notre Dame, Oregon State, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.  

According to 247Sports, Lafaele, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound pass rusher, is the No. 17 EDGE in the country and the No. 2 player in Hawaii. 

His ties to the previous coaching staff and connections to some of the players mentioned above certainly gave Wisconsin football a leg up. 

Still, Luke Fickell and OLB coach Matt Mitchell have done an excellent job of making him feel like a priority which is why Lafaele is taking an official visit to Madison in June. 

The Badgers are in the driver’s seat from everything I’ve heard referencing this specific recruitment.

Wisconsin Football May Have Struck Gold with Tanner Mordecai

Whether the expectations are fair or not, much of the Wisconsin football program’s success in year one of Luke Fickell’s tenure hinges on the one-year rental of SMU transfer quarterback Tanner Mordecai.

In two seasons starting at SMU, Mordecai threw for 7,152 yards, 72 touchdowns, 22 interceptions, and had a 66.4% completion percentage. He also added 302 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. 

Thankfully for Badgers fans, the early reports from spring practice have been glowing. The most common theme we’ve heard is that Mordecai established himself as QB1 from the jump, shows a command of the offense, and continues stacking consistently excellent performances. 

Accuracy and timing are essential in a system like Phil Longo’s, so if the pieces around him can come together, the 6-foot-3 signal-caller could be precisely what Wisconsin needs to get over the proverbial hump. 

Mordecai is the most impactful transfer portal addition at QB for the program since Russell Wilson in 2011. And the hope is that marriage will be mutually beneficial — helping Wisconsin win the Big Ten West and usher in a new era of Badgers football — while boosting Mordecai’s draft stock in Phil Longo’s offensive system.

Other Wisconsin Football News

After missing on four-star running back Jordan Marshall, the Wisconsin football program wasted no time getting three-star tailback Jaedon Matthews out of Scottsdale, Arizona, on campus for an unofficial visit this past weekend.

According to the 247Sports composite, Matthews is the No. 984 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, the No. 79 RB in the country, and the No. 22 player in Arizona.

As a junior, Matthews carried the ball 92 times for 719 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also chipped in 27 catches for 218 yards receiving.

You can watch his HUDL film here.

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound RB currently holds offers from Arizona, Arizona State, California, Colorado, Colorado State, Duke, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Washington State, and Wisconsin.

Matthews reportedly has 4.4 40-yard dash speed and would make for an intriguing three-down talent in the Badgers backfield. Wisconsin is expecting to take two running backs in the 2024 recruiting class.

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

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FB Recruiting

Breaking Down the Wisconsin Badgers Newest 2024 Defensive Line Commit

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3 hours ago

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June 6, 2023

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Wisconsin Football defensive line commit Hank Weber

Wisconsin Football Lands Commitment From 2024 DL Hank Weber

Madison, Wis. — In need of a serious revamping of the defensive line, the Wisconsin football coaching staff knew these next couple of weekends would be huge for the future of the defense. 

The first domino of that DL revamp fell on Monday when the Badgers received a verbal commitment from 2024 three-star defensive lineman Hank Weber out of Brentwood, Tennesee, following an official visit to Madison this past weekend. 

According to 247Sports, Weber is the No. 99 DL in the country and the No. 37 player in Tennessee. The three-star recruit chose Wisconsin over offers from North Carolina, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Purdue, Virginia Tech, and several others. 

“Wisconsin had everything that I was looking for in a college and program,” Weber said. “The defense that coach Mike Tressel runs was appealing because of how aggressive it is. And I’ve been told that coach Fickell sometimes likes to lead the defensive line meetings. That was a huge deal for me.”

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound defensive prospect is Greg Scruggs’ first commit in the 2024 recruiting cycle. 

Scouting Report

Hank Weber is, by my evaluation, a solid but unspectacular prospect. That’s not to say I’m writing him off, though. 

Although his pad level and ability to get off the ball were underwhelming, his pursuit and technique after the snap stood out. There is an undeniable blend of length and power as a pass-rusher that you love to see, and he strikes me as the type of assignment-sound player that could develop into a reliable starter with some time to fill out his frame. 

One thing I love about Weber is that he also plays offensive line, so he’s got a tenacity and motor about him that is a must-have in a defensive line prospect. 

Overall, I think Weber was a solid get, and for a re-tooling defensive line, he’s a solid start to what should be a large class of recruits at the position. I’ll like this commit even better if he’s paired with someone that has more pass-rushing upside.

The Impact of Hank Weber Joining the Wisconsin Football Program 

Vernon Woodward is commitment No. 10 for the Wisconsin football program in the 2024 recruiting cycle, joining Mabrey Mettauer, Grant Stec, Robert Booker, Derek Jensen, Thomas Heiberger, Landon Gauthier, Kyan Berry-Johnson, Kahmir Prescott, and Vernon Woodward.

With his addition, UW now has the No. 21 recruiting class in the country, per 247Sports.

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

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Wisconsin Football Adds Australian Punter, New 2024 Commit, More

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6 hours ago

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June 6, 2023

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Wisconsin Badgers Football Stadium
Sep 3, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; General view of Camp Randall Stadium prior to the game between the Illinois State Redbirds and Wisconsin Badgers. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been a busy couple of days for the Wisconsin football program, ladies and gents, but fear not because BadgerNotes can help get you back up to speed with a roundup of some important Badgers news you may have missed.

Wisconsin Badgers Address Their Special Teams Need

Exiting spring practice, Wisconsin football head coach Luke Fickell voiced his concern about the Badgers’ punting situation.

“I’m a little bit concerned we’ve got to figure some things out probably in the punting situation,” Fickell said after the final spring practice. “I know it’s a tougher time, but we don’t get outside nearly as much to see those guys have an opportunity to punt the ball and for us to return it as well.”

Thankfully, that issue was addressed with Wisconsin landing a commitment from Atticus Bertrams, a native of Melbourne, Australia, who will be on scholarship in 2023.

Bertrams had previously committed to USC in 2021 but didn’t enroll. Instead, he spent his time training at Prokick, an academy in Australia that has produced six Ray Guy Award-winning punters.

He immediately slots in as Wisconsin’s top punter ahead of Jack Van Dyke and Gavin Meyers, who left something to be desired during spring practice. Bertrams has some big shoes to fill following the departure of Andy Vujnovich.

Wisconsin Football Lands Commitment From 3-Star Florida CB 

Following an official visit to Madison, the Wisconsin football coaching staff added their first cornerback prospect of the 2024 cycle in three-star cornerback Vernon Woodward, out of Winter Park, Florida.

According to the industry-generated composite rankings, he is the No. 74 cornerback in the 2024 recruiting class and the No. 128 player in Florida.

Woodward chose UW over scholarship offers from Ole Miss, Illinois, Cincinnati, Missouri, Purdue, UCF, Virginia, West Virginia, Louisville, Georgia Tech, and several others.

As a junior, the 6-foot-2 cornerback registered 57 tackles, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. But perhaps the most telling stat from Woodward’s junior season is that he was targeted only twice all year, which speaks volumes about his ability to blanket WRs at that level. 

You can watch his HUDL film here.

Vernon Woodward is commitment No. 9 for the Wisconsin football program in the 2024 recruiting cycle, joining Mabrey Mettauer, Grant Stec, Robert Booker, Derek Jensen, Thomas Heiberger, Landon Gauthier, Kyan Berry-Johnson, and Kahmir Prescott. 

Other Wisconsin Football News

According to a report from Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, the Wisconsin football team is adding a senior defensive analyst to the coaching staff. 

UW is adding Rhode Island defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Jack Cooper as a senior defensive analyst next season after serving in his previous role since 2020. He also served as a quality control coach for Nebraska for two seasons. 

Coach Cooper helped lead Rhode Island to a top-50 defensive unit in 2021 and a 7-4 record overall, their highest win total in two decades. 

This addition is precisely the kind of coaching hire top-tier programs are making nowadays because they don’t count against the allowed amount of paid assistants. The beauty in adding an experienced coach like Jack Cooper is that you have an internal candidate you’re comfortable with should someone on your staff move on. 

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

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Wisconsin Football Lands Commitment from 2024 Three-Star Defensive Lineman

Published

18 hours ago

on

June 5, 2023

By

Wisconsin Football
Sep 17, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; A Wisconsin Badgers cheerleader carries the Wisconsin flag during the game against the New Mexico State Aggies at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Madison, Wis. – The Wisconsin football program picked up another commitment from a loaded June 2nd recruiting weekend.

Three-star defensive lineman Hank Weber took to Twitter to announce his commitment to Wisconsin.

UW beat out offers from North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Purdue, and others. 

According to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite rankings, Weber is the No. 1070 player in the nation, the No. 99 defensive lineman, and the No. 37 player in Tennessee. 

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound defensive lineman originally planned to commit in August. Instead, Weber opted to stay in Madison following his official visit. He will forgo his officials to Vanderbilt and North Carolina with his commitment.

Scouting report

Weber is a prototypical Wisconsin defensive lineman. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound DL has a quick burst off the line of scrimmage to pair with excellent anticipation and vision to blow up plays. 

The three-star prospect is a tenacious lineman who is often the aggressor when met with contact. He thrives as a bull rusher, but the Tennesee native’s technique is sound when using rip and swim moves. 

Weber also brings some versatility to Wisconsin. Although he typically lines up on the edge, his frame allows him to play on the interior defensive line. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly where he’ll line up with Wisconsin, but Weber has the tools to be an all-around impactful lineman.

You can watch his full HUDL highlights here.

The Wisconsin football program has started June off with a bang. Three-star cornerback Vernon Woodward committed yesterday, and now Weber is on board. There’s more on the way, so be sure to stay tuned to Badger Notes.

Wisconsin now has ten commitments in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Jake Maier on Twitter @JakeJMaier.

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