Wisconsin Football RB Darrion Dupree Signs National Letter of Intent

The Wisconsin football recruiting department had to fend off numerous programs trying to flip him, but 2024 running back Darrion Dupree will be playing for the Badgers next season. 

Dupree, a standout tailback at Mt. Carmel High School in Illinois, was a high-priority target of Luke Fickell and his coaching staff, sitting atop their recruiting board at running back. 

He made things official on Wednesday by signing his letter of intent to join the Badgers as part of the early signing period on National Signing Day. 

As a senior, Dupree showcased his versatility, running for 1,092 yards on the ground and finishing with 755 receiving yards for 24 total touchdowns en route to earning Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year honors.

𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘱, 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘩, 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘦 🎵

Welcome to the Badger family, @darrion_a!#OnWisconsin x #Forever24ward pic.twitter.com/Sq4OTOsEdK

— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) December 20, 2023

Wisconsin Football Signee: Darrion Dupree

Position: Running back

Height: 5-foot-10

Weight: 190 pounds

School: Mt. Carmel (Chicago, Illinois)

Recruiting Rankings

247Sports Composite: 4-star – Grade: 0.8974 – No. 375 player in the nation; No. 31 RB; No. 10 in Illinois. 

247Sports: 3-star – Grade: 89 – No. 30 RB; No. 13 in Illinois.

On3: 3-star – Grade: 88 – No. 43 RB; No. 13 in Illinois. 

Rivals: 4-star – Grade: 5.9 – No. 168 in the nation; No. 3 RB; No. 6 in Illinois

ESPN: 3-star – Grade: 78 – No. 49 RB; No. 13 in Illinois

Dupree doesn’t compare favorably to any other Wisconsin football running back in recent memory. He is a one-cut runner with effortless straight-line speed once he gets in the open field, and is as versatile as they come.

A few other things that stand out are Dupree’s impressive contact balance, he consistently plays bigger than his size, and he is patient as a runner — you don’t always see running back recruits have that in high school because they can “out-athlete” everyone.

I’d consider him an all-around running back who doesn’t go down on first contact and fights for extra yards.

Commitment to the Wisconsin Football Program 

Darrion Dupree committed to the Wisconsin football team on July 7, 2023, just a month after taking his official visit to Madison.

The coaching staff sees him as a potential game-changing weapon in the Badgers offense because of his ability to run between the tackles or split out wide. I’m very high on Dupree.

Dupree held 30 Division 1 offers but chose the Wisconsin Badgers over teams like Alabama, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Washington, and countless others.

The Badgers are losing multi-year starting running back Braelon Allen, who entered the NFL Draft. It’s unknown at this time if Chez Mellusi will return, meaning that carries are wide open heading into next season. Jackson Acker and Cade Yacamelli are the only returning players with experience, so it’s safe to say the incoming Wisconsin football recruiting class RBs will all have a chance to earn snaps as freshmen.

100% COMMITTED To Wisconsin #badgers‼️#RBU ‼️ @BadgerFootball @CoachFick pic.twitter.com/uNNynONAa0

— Darrion A. Dupree (@darrion_a) July 7, 2023

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