Wisconsin Football: Rounding Up a Wild National Signing Day

It was like Christmas Day for Wisconsin football fans on Wednesday, as the Badgers welcomed their 2024 recruiting class into the program. 

Wisconsin had 22 players sign their National Letter of Intent on National Signing Day in the first full recruiting class under Luke Fickell. 

Here’s a recap of a wild day in recruiting for UW. 

Wisconsin Football Retains All 20 Verbal Commits

Wisconsin originally had 21 verbal commits in the 2024 cycle, but safety Kahmir Prescott announced his de-commitment two weeks ago. Going into National Signing Day, there were some recruiting battles that came down to the wire. 

Three-star defensive back Xavier Lucas was on flip watch after he took an official visit to Miami on December 9th. Wisconsin already had a tough road to reel in Lucas, as the Fort Lauderdale native was strongly considering staying close to home and committing to Florida State. The Seminoles ended up taking multiple defensive backs, so Lucas opted to commit to Wisconsin, but the door was seemingly left cracked open. Despite Miami making a big push at the end, UW was able to fend off the Hurricanes and retain the American Heritage High School standout. 

Four-star RB Darrion Dupree also had some schools poke around ahead of National Signing Day. Alabama extended an offer to the Illinois native in August, and Ohio State even made a late push for his services. Dupree stayed true to his verbal commitment, and the three-headed monster of Dupree, Dilin Jones, and Gideon Ituka remained intact. 

Wisconsin Football Adds Two Additional Signatures to the 2024 Class

Wisconsin had signed all of their 2024 commits before it was even 12 p.m. central, but some good news was coming down the pipe. 

Four-star defensive lineman Ernest Willor Jr, a consensus top-125 prospect, announced his commitment to Wisconsin on Wednesday afternoon. In arguably the biggest win on the recruiting trail in this cycle, UW beat out offers from Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, LSU, Texas A&M, Miami, and many others. Defensive line recruiting has been lackluster under the new regime, but adding the No. 17 defensive lineman in the nation with a loaded offer list should put some worries aside. With his commitment, Willor immediately became the highest-ranked signee in Wisconsin’s 2024 class. 

The other surprise addition came close to home, as three-star tight end Robert Booker out of Waunakee flipped his commitment back to Wisconsin. Booker originally committed to UW in January, but he would later flip his commitment to UCLA. After the flip, the Badgers staff remained in contact with him to try to keep him home. Their efforts were successful, and with his commitment, Wisconsin got some added insurance at a thin tight end room along with other incoming freshman Grant Stec. 

Wisconsin Football Solidifies at Top-25 Class in the First Full Cycle Under Luke Fickell

The Wisconsin Athletic Department signaled the changing of the guard in November of 2022, leaving Luke Fickell with some time to add to its 2023 class and bring in some transfers along the way. The 2024 recruiting class was the first full cycle for Luke Fickell, and the first-year results are very promising. 

Across all major recruiting services — 247Sports, Rivals, and On3 — Wisconsin has solidified a top-25 recruiting class. 

On the Rivals rankings, Wisconsin’s 2024 class is ranked No. 18 in the nation and No. 4 in the Big Ten with 11 four-star recruits and 11 three-star recruits. UW is also ranked at No. 23 in the nation by 247Sports and On3. 

Hats off to the Wisconsin football program, specifically the recruiting department, for putting together a standout class in the first complete cycle under the new regime. If early returns are any indication of what is to come, the future of UW’s recruiting is looking bright.

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