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Wisconsin Football News: Badgers Land Top C in Portal, B1G DE, More

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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 Football Lands Top C From Transfer Portal 

On Sunday evening, the Wisconsin football program landed a big fish in the transfer portal. After making several visits to Madison, former Cincinnati center Jake Renfro committed to the University of Wisconsin over what was reportedly a significant NIL offer from LSU.  

Renfro, a former All-AAC first-team member, was a multi-year starting center for the Bearcats but missed all of 2022 due to a season-ending injury. 

According to Pro Football Focus, the 6-foot-3, 310-pound linemen logged 1,126 snaps, all at center, and has allowed only four sacks in 602 pass-blocking sets. 

The former Cincinnati Bearcats addition is significant because Joe Tippmann is off to the NFL – which created a vacancy in the heart of the offensive line. Renfro should slot in as the immediate starter – giving Wisconsin football a proven option and allowing Tanor Bortolini to slide back over to guard, where he’s best suited. 

The Illinois native comes to Madison with up to three years of eligibility. 

Wisconsin Football Adds Former Michigan State DE

Luke Fickell made it clear he intended to add bodies in the trenches, specifically on the defensive line. After adding Darian Varner from Temple, the coaching staff found another experienced option from inside the conference.

Wisconsin football landed Michigan State defensive end Jeff Pietrowski from the transfer portal on Monday afternoon.

The 6-foot-1, 250-pound defensive lineman has 23 games of experience under his belt but appeared in only three games this past season because of a lower-leg injury he suffered in September.

In 2021, Pietrowski registered 33 tackles, 24 pressures, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery as a sophomore. Per PFF, he earned a 78.7 defensive grade as a run-stopper, which for reference, would have been the highest among Badgers DL in 2022.

I anticipate he’ll provide depth on the defensive line but also get a look at outside linebacker, given the lack of proven options remaining after Nick Herbig declared for the NFL draft.

The Talented QBs Just Keep Coming 

Just when you thought the Wisconsin football program had everyone they’d need at quarterback, Phil Longo adds another talented arm to the QB room.

UW landed former four-star QB Braedyn Locke, who played one season at Mississippi State before entering the transfer portal.

Per the 247Sports Composite, Locke was the No. 383 overall prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, the No. 22 QB in the country, and the No. 54 player in Texas.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound quarterback became the third transfer signal caller to join the Badgers this offseason, joining Tanner Mordecai and Nick Evers in a completely rebuilt QB room. After this coming season, competition for the Wisconsin Badgers’ future QB1 spot will be a dog fight.

Locke joins the Wisconsin football program with four years of eligibility remaining.


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Wisconsin Football Lands 2024 Three-Star Interior Offensive Lineman

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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.

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.


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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Wisconsin Football Lands 2024 Four-Star Offensive Lineman Commit

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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.

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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Breaking Down the Wisconsin Badgers Newest 2024 Defensive Line Commit

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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.

Follow this link and use promo code: BADGERNOTES for 25% off your next True Classic order.

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