Wisconsin football adds 21 to incoming recruiting class

Class includes 12 out-of-state players

Madison — The Wisconsin football program signed 21 players to its incoming recruiting class on Wednesday. 12 of those players are from out of state.

Head coach Paul Chryst said it’s important to put a wall around Wisconsin, but you can’t fill a recruiting class with only one state.

“I don’t know if it’s necessarily ‘We stole one from this state.’ Right? It’s not like that,” Chryst said Wednesday morning. “Recruiting is a two-way street. One side, the University has to identify it. Then it’s gotta fit for the kid. We’re pumped about this group. In-state and out-of-state kids.”

Wisconsin’s had a flood of recent success with former Badgers playing in the NFL. Badgers defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard was an all-American at UW before embarking on a ten-year NFL career. He said that can be a valuable tool in the recruiting process.

“You use what you got, right?” Leonard said with a laugh. “It’s like telling a running back ‘We’re okay running the ball.’ We’ve had a lot of success defensively and obviously very dynamic playmakers at the outside linebacker position. It is something where we feel like we can go in and compete with any school.”

The Badgers’ class is ranked No. 26 nationally by both 247 Sports and ESPN. A complete list of the signees can be found below.

Information on the signees, including individual highlight videos, is available at UWBadgers.com/NSD2020

Comments from head coach Paul Chryst, offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph and defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard can be found at YouTube.com/WisconsinBadgers.

Name Status Position Height Weight Hometown (High School)

Dylan Barrett Scholarship OL 6-6 296 St. Charles, Ill. (East)

Ben Barten Scholarship OL 6-6 265 Stratford, Wis. (Stratford)

Tanor Bortolini Scholarship OL 6-5 250 Kewaunee, Wis. (Kewaunee)

Devin Chandler Scholarship WR 6-1 175 Huntersville, N.C. (Hough)

Cole Dakovich Scholarship TE 6-5 225 Waukesha, Wis. (Catholic Memorial)

Chimere Dike Scholarship ATH 6-0 175 Waukesha, Wis. (North)

Nick Herbig Scholarship OLB 6-2 202 Honolulu, Hawaii (Saint Louis School)

Kaden Johnson Scholarship OLB 6-4 200 St. Paul, Minn. (Minnehaha Academy)

Cam Large Scholarship TE 6-4 240 Pomfret, Conn. (Noble & Greenough School)

Max Lofy Scholarship CB 5-11 165 Colorado Springs, Colo. (Pine Creek)

Cade McDonald Scholarship DE 6-7 250 Houlton, Wis. (Hudson)

Jack Nelson Scholarship OL 6-7 260 Stoughton, Wis. (Stoughton)

Malik Reed Scholarship ILB 6-2 215 Chandler, Ariz. (Chandler)

Isaac Smith Scholarship WR 6-3 180 Memphis, Tenn. (Saint Georges)

James Thompson Jr. Scholarship DE 6-4 251 Cincinnati, Ohio (Roger Bacon)

Jordan Turner Scholarship ILB 6-3 220 Farmington, Mich. (Farmington)

Trey Wedig Scholarship OL 6-7 301 Oconomowoc, Wis. (Kettle Moraine)

Aaron Witt Scholarship OLB 6-5 220 Winona, Minn. (Winona)

Preston Zachman Scholarship ILB 6-2 198 Elysburg, Pa. (Southern Columbia)

Duncan McKinley Walk-On LS 6-3 190 Eau Claire, Wis. (Memorial)

Sean Timmis Walk-On OL 6-4 260 Shorewood, Wis. (Marquette University HS)

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