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Wisconsin Football Trending for 4-Star Recruit, Upcoming RB Visitor, More

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Wisconsin Badgers football
Sep 22, 2012; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers helmets sit on the field during warmups prior to the game against the UTEP Miners at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin defeated UTEP 37-26. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been a busy week for the Wisconsin football program, particularly on the recruiting front, ladies and gents, but fear not because BadgerNotes can help get you back up to speed with a roundup of some important news you may have missed.

Wisconsin Badgers Trending for 4-Star EDGE Rusher 

Luke Fickell made it clear he intends to build the core of the Wisconsin football program within a 350-mile radius of Madison. However, he’s willing to go outside those friendly confines for the right prospect.

This past week, BadgerBlitz recruiting analyst Jon McNamara placed a FutureCast prediction for 2024 four-star edge rusher Anelu Lafaele from St. Louis, Hawaii, to wind up in Madison (keep in mind, he has an 89% career accuracy when placing those predictions). 

According to 247Sports, Lafaele, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound pass rusher, is the No. 19 EDGE in the country and the No. 2 player in Hawaii. 

His ties to the previous coaching staff and connections to players like Nick Herbig and Trech Kekahuna certainly gave Wisconsin football a leg up. Still, Luke Fickell and OLB coach Matt Mitchell have done an excellent job of making him feel like a priority.

Lafaele will be on campus for an official visit on June 2, so I’d put him on a commitment watch sometime shortly after that.

Wisconsin Football Will Get Talented RB on Campus for a Visit 

According to a report from Evan Flood of 247Sports, three-star running back Jaedon Matthews out of Scottsdale, Arizona, will get his first look at the Wisconsin football program on April 8 when he takes an unofficial visit to UW. 

“There are so many running backs who would love to go to Wisconsin, and I am one of them,” Matthew told Jon Mcnamara.

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound RB currently holds offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Colorado, Colorado State, Duke, Kansas, Northern Arizona, Washington State, and Wisconsin. 

Hoping to take two running backs in the 2024 recruiting class, Luke Fickell and Devon Spalding are wisely casting a wider net — considering that Jordan Marshall, who put UW in his top four, is unlikely to sign with the Badgers. 

According to MaxPreps, Matthews carried the ball 92 times for 719 yards (7.8 YPC) and 11 touchdowns – while also catching 27 passes for 218 yards as a junior. 

It’s become quite clear that the new Wisconsin football coaching staff values pass-catching backs more than the previous regime. 

Other Wisconsin Football Recruiting News

Speaking of high-profile visitors, Wisconsin football will have another big name on campus this spring.  

Kevin Heywood, a 2024 four-star offensive tackle out of Royersford, Pennslyvania, will visit Wisconsin on April 1. 

Per the 247Sports composite, Heywood is the No. 18 OT in the country and the No. 4 player in Pennsylvania.

The 6-foot-7, 290-pound OT holds over 20 offers, most notably from Michigan, Penn State, Auburn, Georgia, Miami, Nebraska, Notre Dame, and Tennesee. 


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Dillon Graff is a Substack Newsletter Best Selling Author and the Owner of BadgerNotes.com, your go-to source for in-depth coverage of the Wisconsin Badgers. His work has been featured in top media publications like USA Today, Bleacher Report, Verbal Commits, B5Q, Saturday Blitz, and Fansided.

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