Wisconsin Football: 3 Biggest Recruiting Wins in the 2024 Cycle

The Wisconsin football program officially welcomed its 2024 recruiting class last week. With 22 players signing their National Letter of Intent, the Badgers earned the No. 23 class in the nation.

UW had some tough recruiting battles in the 2024 cycle for multiple prospects, including some that went all the way down to the wire on National Signing Day. Here’s a look at the three of Wisconsin’s biggest recruiting wins in the first full cycle under Luke Fickell.

Wisconsin Football DB Xavier Lucas

The battle to bring in Xavier Lucas was a tough one for Wisconsin. 

Prior to his initial commitment, the Badgers were in a tight race with Florida State to land Lucas’ services. The Fort Lauderdale native was waiting to see if the Seminoles would take other defensive backs, and when they did, he announced he would play at Wisconsin next season. 

Though Florida State went to the wayside, the Miami Hurricanes tried to make a late push for Lucas. The three-star safety made three visits to Miami after committing to UW, including a trip just five days before National Signing Day. In the end, Lucas stayed true to his word and was the last verbal commit to put pen to paper last Wednesday. 

Wisconsin was able to outlast FSU and Miami while also beating out offers from notable programs, including Alabama, Oklahoma, Michigan, Texas A&M, Colorado, Kentucky, Nebraska, and many others.

Wisconsin Football DL Ernest Willor Jr

Four-star, top-125 defensive lineman Ernest Willor Jr was a late addition to the 2024 class, as he announced his commitment and signed his NLI on National Signing Day. 

Adding Willor to this class was a win for several reasons. For starters, the Concordia Prep standout had a loaded offer list. Wisconsin beat out 25 other scholarship offers, with notable programs including Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, and several other schools throwing their hat in the ring. 

On top of that, the Badgers filled a major position of need by bringing in Willor. Wisconsin will have only three players who recorded a stat last season returning at defensive line in 2023: James Thompson Jr, Ben Barten, and Will McDonald. Playing time is undoubtedly up for the taking, and with his skill set, Willor has a great shot of seeing the field early. 

Defensive line recruiting has been the Achilles heel for UW early in the new regime’s tenure, but bringing in a player like Willor is a massive step in the right direction. 

Wisconsin Football CB Omillio Agard

Omillio Agard is arguably the most talented player in the Badgers 2024 class and the biggest win. Though he dropped in the rankings during his senior year, Agard was rated as a five-star at one point in time. However, Agard is currently the No. 376 player in the nation, the No. 28 CB, and the No. 7 player in Pennsylvania, per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite. 

Agard was as highly touted as they come, garnering 31 total offers throughout his recruitment. Wisconsin beat out several notable schools, including Alabama, Georgia, Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, USC, Texas A&M, Miami, and others. 

The St. Joseph’s Prep standout was named a First-Team All-American after a standout senior year that saw his team earn their third Pennsylvania State Championship. He comes in as the second-highest-rated cornerback in Wisconsin football history.

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