After a dominant run in the transfer portal, the Wisconsin Badgers football team has received quite a few crystal ball projections from 247 Sports. The 2024 class has all the means to become a star-studded one for the Badgers with the right commitments. A certain three-star in-state linebacker duo received projections to land with the Badgers recently as Spring practices continue to heat up.
Wisconsin Badgers Football: Can UW Bring Pilof, Gauthier Home?
Both Sam Pilof and Landon Gauthier are both exceptional three-star linebackers from the great state of Wisconsin. The duo rank as some of the top recruits from the state, and each have been recruited by the Badgers for some time now. The expectation is that the Badgers will dominate their state, which they have done thus far with the commitments of Rob Booker and Derek Jensen. Landing the linebacker duo would be great in-state pickups for the program.
The Badgers football staff will certainly have to work hard to land Pilof, Gauthier, or both recruits. Each recruit has handled the process differently thus far, which may also impact where the potential landing spot is. The question over the next few months is who else will join in on the recruiting of these two talented three-star recruits?
The Chase For Sam Pilof Heats Up Once Again
The 2024 Middleton linebacker and lacrosse star Sam Pilof made his way into the news months ago when he posted a picture of himself on Twitter with the caption “Commitment Tomorrow”. Pilof did not announce his commitment afterwards, but instead received a crystal ball prediction for the Wisconsin Badgers from Evan Flood of 247 Sports. The post was instead a clever way for Pilof to gain quite a bit of attention from other programs.
Commitment tomorrow 👀 pic.twitter.com/1aMoMroe6R
— Sam Pilof (@pilofsam1) January 13, 2023
Currently, Pilof holds four offers from Penn State, Iowa State, Rutgers, and Wisconsin. Despite the crystal ball prediction, Penn State and Rutgers have been working hard to land the talented linebacker before Wisconsin does. While Pilof has visited Penn State three times and Rutgers twice as well, he made his latest visit to Madison in January. The talented recruit has now taken five visits to Wisconsin and will hopefully be back for his sixth in the coming weeks.
Pilof is currently ranked as the tenth overall player from the state, and the 91st overall linebacker. Coming in at six foot two inches, 210 pounds, Pilof has a boost of speed that allows him to stop the ball carrier before they can get past him. The linebacker has been a sure tackler for his team and looks to translate his game over to the collegiate level.
Will Wisconsin Land The Bay Port Star Gauthier?
The six foot three inch, 220 pound, linebacker Landon Gauthier is a physical presence on the field. Gauthier can sit in coverage and shut down his opponents as they struggle to gain separation. He also has a tenacious ability to pressure the quarterback and aggressively rush off of the edge. Gauthier has the length and speed to become a serious problem for offenses in college.
The Bay Port linebacker has received seven offers thus far without making any official visits. Gauthier attended Junior day on campus in Madison and has already had the chance to meet with the staff extensively. Another visit to meet with the Wisconsin Badgers staff seems likely after Gauthier had quite the visit in the past. Syracuse, Stanford, and Minnesota have been actively recruiting Gauthier as well after offering him scholarships.
Wisconsin will have to move quickly to land the talented three-star linebacker duo before they commit elsewhere. Sam Pilof seems to be farther along in the recruiting process, which means he will likely commit before Gauthier does. Regardless of the commitment sequence, Pilof and Gauthier would be amazing in-state additions for the Badgers.
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