The Wisconsin Badgers football staff recently hosted a top 2024 recruit in hopes of landing an official visit in the near future.
Dominic Kirks, a 2024 four-star edge rusher from Ohio, has proven himself to be one of the top threats off the edge in the class. Most of the Wisconsin staff had first started recruiting Kirks when they were still members of the Bearcats staff. It was not until recently that the Badgers had rekindled their relationship with the recruit. After playing hosts a few days ago, Wisconsin now waits for the elusive official visit to be scheduled.
Wisconsin Badgers Football: Top 2024 Defensive Target Nearing Official Visit
The Badgers staff began recruiting Kirks over a year ago during his Sophomore year of high school. Defensive line coach Greg Scruggs, who was then serving as a Cincinnati Bearcats assistant, has been the primary contact for Kirks. Scruggs continued to recruit Kirks after switching programs and joining the Badgers alongside his head coach, Luke Fickell. Fickell was a former defensive lineman himself and has always put forth stellar lines whenever he is coaching a team.
In order to continue to build the talented defensive line the Badgers already have, adding more linemen in the 2024 recruiting class will be a necessity. Wisconsin already had to fill the hole that Keeanu Benton had left and now must prepare to lose another handful of players. If Wisconsin has the success they expect as well, then plenty of players will try their luck in the NFL Draft next season.
Wisconsin is coming on strong for On3 4-star EDGE Dominic Kirks. He will take his first visit on May 19. If things go well, the Badgers will receive an official visit.
Kirks has three OVs locked in: https://t.co/QWGlRa2TYR (On3+)
— ChadSimmons (@ChadSimmons_) May 15, 2023
Scruggs has continued to aggressively recruit Kirks, however, the recruit has yet to set his official visit. Kirks, the 16th ranked recruit in Ohio and the 47th ranked defensive lineman, has already set two official visits with Pittsburgh and Washington. This past weekend the Wisconsin Badgers football staff hosted Kirks for a routine visit and had the chance to speak with the recruit. Following his visit, Kirks expressed that the Badgers had moved up on his list to Chad Simmons of On3 Sports.
Can The Wisconsin Badgers Land The Exceptional Four-Star Edge Rusher Dominic Kirks?
Kirks is a big, powerful edge rusher at 6-foot-5-inches, 250-pounds. The defensive star is not afraid to run through the blockers nor will he shy away from contact. Kirks plays an aggressive style of football that matches what Scruggs and Fickell both love to see out of their offensive linemen. Along with this, he also has another year to grow and add more size, which will surely help him at the collegiate level as well.
The worry behind Kirks is that he can be too slow off the snap and struggles to utilize an array of rushing moves. Kirks still needs experience and time to develop his all-around defensive game, but it should not be an issue for the talented recruit. The Wisconsin Badgers have also been looking at Ernest Willor Jr and Benedict Umeh as options for the 2024 class. However, Kirks may be the best bet for the Badgers given the relationship their staff has with the recruit.
Before visiting Wisconsin for the first time, Kirks made a quick stop at Penn State to visit the Nittany Lions facility. Next, the recruit will travel to Pittsburgh before visiting Washington. It has been a busy few months for Kirks and his recruitment will only continue to heat up as he makes this next round of visits.
Wisconsin has not solidified an official visit with Kirks yet, but that should certainly be their next move.
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