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Wisconsin Football Recruiting: One Thing to Watch on National Signing Day

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Wisconsin Football
Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell arrives at Sky Harbor International Airport on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, ahead of their Guaranteed Rate Bowl game against Oklahoma State University. Badgers Arrive 5

Madison, Wis. — For Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin football program, OG National Signing Day has the potential to be somewhat uneventful. 

That’s because the early signing period has supplanted the February date as the popular time for athletes to put pen to paper on their national letter of intent and officially join their respective programs. 

Wisconsin Football Already Signed Most of Its Class

During the early signing period, Wisconsin football received national letters of intent from 14 players in the 2023 recruiting class to play for Luke Fickell. 

That number is rather impressive, considering there were only eight verbal commits in the 2023 cycle when Fickell took the job.

He and his staff worked quickly to get players on campus, flip commits, and begin putting their fingerprints on UW’s roster ahead of his first offseason with the Badgers.

According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Wisconsin football has the No. 60 ranked class in the country and the No. 12 rated class in the Big Ten. 

Here is a list of recruits who’ve already signed their national letter of intent:

  • Amare Snowden (Four-star CB)
  • Braedyn Moore (Four-star S)
  • James Durand (Four-star OL)
  • Cole LaCrue (Three-star QB)
  • Nate White (Three-star RB)
  • Trech Kekahuna (Three-star WR)
  • Tucker Ashcraft (Three-star TE)
  • Jordan Mayer (Three-star OLB)
  • Tyler Jansey (Three-star LB)
  • Christian Alliegro (Three-star LB)
  • Jace Arnold (Three-star CB)
  • Jonas Duclona (Three-star CB)
  • A.J. Tisdell (Three-star CB)
  • Justin Taylor (Three-star S)

Could Wisconsin Football Make Any Last Minute Additions?

On national signing day, all eyes will be on three-star nose tackle Jamel Howard, UW’s top remaining target in the 2023 recruiting class. 

Howard, a 6-foot-3, 320-pound DL out of Chicago, Illinois, initially committed to the Wisconsin football program back in June. However, he backed off that decision when Paul Chryst was fired during the season.

He later received offers and took official visits to LSU, Michigan, Ole Miss, and Miami – while never ruling out the possibility of a reunion with UW. 

Although Michigan appeared to be the favorite after Howard re-opened his recruitment, Wisconsin’s relentless pursuit of the talented defensive lineman may have flipped the script in their favor. 

Steve Wilfong of 247Sports recently cast a crystal ball prediction for Howard to commit to Wisconsin football on national signing day – which would be the cherry on top of an otherwise rock-solid recruiting class. 


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Five-Star Specialist Erik Schmidt Talks Recent Wisconsin Football Visit

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Wisconsin Badgers Football left tackle Joe Thomas Hall of Fame
Photo: Courtesy of AMF Photos

The Wisconsin football program recently hosted several 2025 prospects during the Badgers win over Georgia Southern.

One of those prospects was Erik Schmidt, a touted kicker/punter out of Milwaukee. 

“I had a really good time,” Schmidt told BadgerNotes. “The atmosphere in Madison was great, and everybody was welcoming.”

Erik Schmidt Recaps Recent Wisconsin Football Visit

Per Kohl’s Kicking, Schmidt is a five-star specialist. The Marquette University High School standout is the No. 4 ranked kicker in the nation and the No. 1 punter. 

Wisconsin was the first school to extend an offer to Schmidt and remains his sole offer. However, he has been garnering some interest from other programs.

“Michigan, Notre Dame, and Ohio State,” Schmidt said when asked what schools he’s hearing from at the moment. 

UW coaches Spencer Rymiszewski and Matt Mitchell have been Schmidt’s main points of contact following his scholarship offer. During his visit, he was able to catch up with the coaches and build relationships. 

“I’d say I have a close relationship with the staff. I talk to them multiple times a week.” Schmidt said. “We talked about how my football season is going.” 

It’s not just coaches who have been talking with Schmidt, however. Nathanial Vakos, the Wisconsin football program’s current placekicker, took some time to chat with Schmidt during his visit as well.

“I was able to talk with (Vakos) as well,” Schmidt told BadgerNotes. “We were just catching up because we were at a camp together this past summer.”

Wisconsin is reportedly near the top of Schmidt’s list, but he’s not in any rush to make a decision. He’s still looking to make his rounds and check out some other programs that have shown interest. 

“I’m going to visit Notre Dame and Michigan,” Schmidt said. “I’ll be back in Madison for the Ohio State game.”

That’s one of several standout prospects who will be in attendance for Wisconsin’s big primetime game against the Buckeyes. 

Luke Fickell and company are looking to have a scholarship kicker/punter in the 2025 class. If they are able to reel in one of the nation’s top kickers/punters, that will be a big win for the special teams group.

As it stands, Wisconsin football holds two commitments in the 2025 cycle from Remington Moss and Landyn Locke.


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Wisconsin Football: Badgers Expected to Land 2025 In-State Recruit

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Wisconsin Badgers football coaches Luke Fickell and Mike Tressel
Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell (left) greets Wisconsin Badgers defensive Coordinator Mike Tressel after Fickell spoke to the media during Wisconsin Badgers football media day at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023.

Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers Football program struggled to recruit America’s Dairyland in their first full cycle since taking over. That said, they’re hoping to change their fortunes in a deep group of 2025 in-state prospects.

Three-star linebacker Cooper Catalano from Germantown, Wisconsin, is arguably the top linebacker target on their board, and they have hosted him on several unofficial visits, most recently during the Badgers home game vs. Georgia Southern.

According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Catalano is ranked as the No. 470 player in the nation, the No. 43 linebacker, and the No. 6 player in Wisconsin. He currently holds offers from UW, Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas, Michigan State, and Minnesota.

His fit with Wisconsin football seems obvious, and after his latest trip to Madison, it appears that the recruiting insiders have a gut feeling about where he’ll call home.

Wisconsin Football is Trending for the In-State Linebacker 

Obviously, it’s still early in Cooper Catalano’s recruitment, but all signs point to the Wisconsin Badgers Football team keeping him home.

Badgers recruiting insiders Evan Flood of 247Sports and Jon McNamara of Rivals are in lockstep and have placed predictions for the 6-foot 200-pound linebacker to commit to Wisconsin.

As it stands, Wisconsin football has verbal commitments from quarterback Landyn Locke and defensive back Remington Moss, so it would be even sweeter to add an in-state product into the mix this early.

The Badgers coaching staff has injected some life into the program on the recruiting trail, and plenty of players want a seat at the table before the spots fill up.



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In-State EDGE Nicholas McCullough Recaps Wisconsin Football Visit

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Wisconsin Badgers Football helmet
Mandatory Credit: Aaron Frey-AMF Photos. Follow @amfphotos2020 on Instagram to see more.

Fresh off of a win over top-ranked Mukwonago, Muskego High School standout Nicholas McCullough made a stop at Camp Randall to take in the Wisconsin Badgers football program’s victory over Georgia Southern, where the

“Great visit overall,” McCullough told BadgerNotes. “The atmosphere was amazing per usual. It was great to see coach Scruggs in action.”

Nicholas McCullough Recaps Recent Wisconsin Football Visit

During his visit, McCullough spent some time building his relationships with the coaching staff. He’s been in touch with a pair of UW coaches thus far as they continue to monitor the Muskego native.

“I have a good relationship with the staff. Coach Spalding is an awesome dude, and it’s always good to see him. Coach Scruggs is an amazing coach, and we keep in touch whenever we can.” McCullough explained. “I saw them pregame and just talked about how my season is going so far.”

The Muskego standout has had an impressive season thus far. The undefeated Warriors just took down Mukwonago and have wins over other programs such as Verona, Oak Creek, and Waukesha West. 

His film speaks for itself, as he’s put together quite a highlight reel through five games. 

Not only is McCullough a standout on the field, but he’s an excellent student. According to his Twitter bio, McCullough currently holds a 4.0 GPA. Some schools are taking notice of his excellent academics, including some Ivy League universities.

“Duke and Ivy League (schools) such as Princeton, Penn, Columbia, and Dartmouth,” McCullough said when asked what other schools he’s hearing from. 

McCullough hasn’t picked up an offer from the Badgers yet, but he is planning on another Wisconsin football visit, among some other stops.

“I’m currently working out the details for Ivy League visits. I do plan on coming back to Madison,” McCullough explained.

McCullough has a long way to go in his recruitment, but he was impressed by Wisconsin. At the end of our talk, the junior linebacker discussed what the most important thing will be when he’s choosing a school. 

“Definitely the level of education. Wisconsin does a great job of having the best of both worlds. Great football team and a great education.”

As it stands, the Wisconsin football program holds two commitments in the 2025 class from Remington Moss and Landyn Locke


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

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