Wisconsin Football Recruiting: Badgers Trending for a Pair of Four-Star RBs

Madison, Wis. – The Wisconsin football program’s running back room is in an interesting spot approaching the 2023 season.

For the last two seasons, the two-headed monster of Braelon Allen and Chez Mellusi has handled the tailback duties. However, with Mellusi entering his final year of eligibility and Allen potentially leaving for the NFL, the future of the running back room has some question marks.

While players like Cade Yacamelli and Jackson Acker will be next in line, they’re unproven tailbacks. Because of that, finding a running back (or multiple) in the 2024 recruiting cycle is critical. 

Luckily, Wisconsin is firmly in the running to land a pair of talented four-star running backs.

Wisconsin football is firmly in the running for Darrion Dupree and Dillin Jones

The Badgers have heavily recruited in Illinois over the past few years. One of UW’s top targets in the 2024 cycle, Darrion Dupree, hails from the Chicagoland area, and Wisconsin is in a great spot to land the dynamic tailback.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Dupree is the No. 369 player in the nation, the No. 34 running back, and the No. 8 player in Illinois. 

Multiple recruiting sites have submitted predictions for Dupree to land in Madison. With Wisconsin seemingly leading the charge in his recruitment, Dupree will head to Madison for an official visit on June 2nd. He’ll be one of many prospects in attendance as a massive recruiting weekend awaits the Wisconsin football program.

Another top running back prospect, Dilin Jones, has also set an official visit date with Wisconsin. The four-star athlete will head to UW on June 16th before trips to Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Maryland. 

According to the 247Sports Composite, Jones is the No. 177 player in the nation, the No. 11 tailback, and the No. 4 player in Maryland.

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound running back was recently named the top performer at the Under Armour All-American Camp. He spoke with 247Sports’ Brian Dohn following the camp and named Wisconsin as one of the top contenders in his recruitment. 

Jones wants to decide which school he’ll attend in the summer, but no official commitment date has been announced. If Wisconsin can work some magic during his official, they could be in an excellent spot to land the standout from Good Counsel.

Final Thoughts

With Allen and Mellusi likely on the way out, Wisconsin is in a prime spot to land these prospects. One of the major selling points for the four-star tailbacks will be the potential for immediate playing time. If Fickell and company can make that a point of emphasis, I think UW has the potential to land both prospects.

If I had to give my prediction, I’d say I feel really good about UW landing Dupree. Jones will be a tougher recruiting battle, but I certainly wouldn’t count the Badgers out.

The Wisconsin football program currently holds eight commitments in the 2024 cycle.

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