Wisconsin Football News: Badgers Land 2024 CB, Offseason Chatter, More

It’s been a busy couple of days for the Wisconsin football program, but BadgerNotes can help get you back up to speed with a roundup of some important Badgers news you may have missed.

Wisconsin Badgers Land Commitment From 3-Star Alabama CB

It didn’t take long after his official visit to Madison for three-star cornerback Jay Harper out of Valley, Alabama, to wrap up his recruitment and announce his commitment to the Wisconsin football program.

COMMITTED!! 🦡❤️ @CoachFick @Haynes_Badgers @PatLambert13 pic.twitter.com/DPpVQ6eOTI

— Jay Harper ✞ (@JayHarper_2) June 19, 2023

According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Harper is the 61 CB in the 2024 recruiting class and the No. 39 player in Alabama.

“I really like Wisconsin,” Harper said. “It’s a great place to be. I like what the coaches are doing, turning that program around.”

The 6-foot, 165-pound defensive back finished his junior season with 48 tackles and three interceptions in 10 games and held offers from Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Tennesee, Texas A&M, and others.

Harper has good size and speed for the position but also appears to be technically sound on tape. He is also versatile enough and has fluid hips that would allow him to play inside (slot) or out on the boundary. There is also some potential to be an asset on special teams as a return man.

Overall, Harper has the potential to be an excellent man-to-man coverage corner that fits this scheme like a glove. UW now has two cornerback commits in the 2024 recruiting cycle and is expected to take at least one more.

Wisconsin Football Named’ Surprise Team’ by Phil Steele  

Long known around the industry for putting out the most reputable and often accurate season preview magazine, Phil Steele had some strong thoughts about the Wisconsin football program heading into 2023. 

“In 2021, I picked the Cincinnati Bearcats as my highest-ranked Group of Five team and finished by writeup by saying, ‘the Bearcats have a shot at being the first ever Group of Five team to make the playoff.’ Some guy named Luke Fickell did exactly that as they faced No. 1 Alabama in the playoff. This year Fickell takes over a talented Wisconsin team that underperformed last year and fired their head coach [Paul Chryst] mid-year.

“He has one of the top RB rooms in the country, and while they will pass more with SMU [transfer] quarterback Tanner Mordecai, they still have their normal beefy offensive line and top-notch defense.”

That’s a strong endorsement from one of the country’s most respected college football writers and further proves that Luke Fickell provides Wisconsin with instant credibility. 

While I’m skeptical about jumping all the way into having Big Ten title and playoffs aspirations, I expect the Badgers to win the B1G West and return to Indianapolis after a three-year absence. Things are certainly headed in the right direction on paper.

Other Wisconsin Football News

Although the Wisconsin coaching staff has been laser-focused on filling out its 2024 recruiting class, it’s worth mentioning that the Badgers hosted one of the fastest-rising 2025 recruits offensive line recruits in the country this past weekend. 

That player was offensive tackle Rown Bryne out of Iona Prep in New York, who took an unofficial visit to Madison this past weekend. 

It was great being in Madison, the best college town in the country, over the weekend!! Thank you to everyone for having my mom and I out we loved it!! @BadgerFootball @CoachFick @CoachBicknell @CullenLCasey @CaseyRabach_61 @CoachPhilLongo @Joespags12 @ionafootball @CoachMoffitt pic.twitter.com/MfmD0pV3ul

— Rowan Byrne 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@RowanByrne6) June 19, 2023

“The city was really beautiful, and I loved the visit, Bryne said. “There’s a reason why it’s the best college town in the country, and it’s really not close.”

The 6-foot-6, 290-pound OT currently holds offers from Penn State, Notre Dame, Michigan, Texas A&M, Stanford, Minnesota, Wisconsin football, and many more.

It’s still early in his recruitment, but this is a potential blue-chip recruitment to keep an eye on that will feature heavy hitters from across the country. 

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