Wisconsin Badgers 2021 College Football Recruiting Class Overview
Written by Charlie Beuttel
Twitter: @charlie_cds3
The Badgers fell to a 4-3 finish in 2020 after a 10-4 record and a Rose Bowl appearance in 2019. Wisconsin rode a rollercoaster all season as they won their first two games then dropped three straight before winning their final two. Their biggest victory came at Michigan on Nov. 14 taking down the Wolverines 49-11. The Badgers final win of the season came in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against Wake Forest on Dec. 30 carrying momentum into spring practices and onto the recruiting trail downing the Demon Deacons 42-28.
During the early signing period last month, Wisconsin received 21 letters of intent from all over the region. Their recruiting class currently sits third in the Big Ten behind Ohio State and Michigan, 16th in the country.
The highest-rated recruit currently signed with the Badgers is five-star offensive tackle Nolan Rucci, who is the highest-rated recruit in the state of Pennsylvania and rated as the fifth best tackle in the 2021 class. Wisconsin also secured a letter of intent from the top three prospects in their home state in four-star offensive tackle JP Benzschawel, from Grafton, four-star safety Hunter Wohler, from Muskego, and four-star linebacker Braelon Allen, from Fond Du Lac. Another key recruit tied to the team’s future success is three-star quarterback Deacon Hill from Santa Barbara, California.
Wisconsin won division titles in 2017 and 2019 but haven’t won the conference championship since 2012. This talented recruiting class have goals of not only taking this program back to the top of the Big Ten West also to the top of Big Ten mountain.
Wisconsin Badges Early Signees
OT Nolan Rucci, 6-8, 295, Warwick HS-Lititz, PA
OT JP Benzschawel, 6-7, 285, Grafton HS-Grafton, WI
OT Riley Mahlman, 6-7, 290, Lakeville South HS-Lakeville, MN
DE TJ Bollers, 6-3, 250, Clear Creek Amana HS-Tiffin, IA
S Hunter Wohler, 6-1, 290, Muskego HS-Muskego, WI
LB Braelon Allen, 6-2, 215, Fond Du Lac HS-Fond Du Lac, WI
WR Markus Allen, 6-2, 190, Northmont HS-Clayton, OH
LB Darryl Peterson, 6-3, 235, Archbishop Hoban-Akron, OH
TE Jack Pugh, 6-5, 235, Hilliard Bradley HS-Hilliard, OH
LB Bryan Sanborn, 6-2, 210, Lake Zurich HS-Lake Zurich, IL
QB Deacon Hill, 6-3, 230, Santa Barbara HS-Santa Barbara, CA
LB Jake Ratzlaff, 6-2, 220, Rosemount Senior HS-Rosemount, MN
DE Ayo Adebogun, 6-3, 215, Homestead HS-Thiensville, WI
RB Jackson Acker, 6-1, 210, Verona Area HS-Verona, WI
RB Loyal Crawford, 6-0, 190, Memorial HS-Eau Claire, WI
CB Ricardo Hallman, 6-0, 183, TRU Prep Academy-Miami Gardens, FL
DE Mike Jarvis, 6-5, 250, Shawnee HS-Medford, NJ
LB Jake Chaney, 6-0, 210, Lehigh Senior HS-Lehigh Acres, FL
CB Al Ashford III, 6-1, 170, Cherry Creek HS-Englewood, CO
WR Skyler Bell, 6-1, 185, The Taft School-Watertown, CT
RB Antwan Roberts, 6-2, 195, Pope John Paul II-Hendersonville, TN
Photo credit: Wisconsin Badgers; Wisconsin Head Coach Paul Chryst