Wisconsin Badgers Football and head coach Luke Fickell have been on fire in the recruiting department to start the month of June. Their 2024 recruiting class was already off to a hot start, but the group recruiting visits have started to pay off significantly. After a hyped-up recruiting weekend to start June, Wisconsin has picked up four commitments with another crystal ball going their way and many others blown away by their experience.
Though I usually give the run-down of potential recruits and commitments, this article will focus on the players stepping onto campus next year. I’ll go through areas they are good at and touch on a few areas where they’ll need to grow to make a big impact at the next level for the Wisconsin Badgers Football program.
Wisconsin Badgers Football Commits
Vernon Woodward (Defensive Back)
Vernon Woodward is a defensive back commit out of Winter Park, Fla. Woodward was in Madison last weekend as part of the big group of Wisconsin Badgers Football recruits that were in town for official visits. Many of the UW sports writers reported how impressed many of the recruits were with the town as their impressions of Wisconsin Badgers Football changed in a big way.
The Florida native was so impressed that he informed the coaches before leaving that he planned on committing. That commitment was the second by a defensive back for the class of 2024 and one that fits the physical profile the new staff is targeting. With a 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame, Woodward has the length Fickell is looking for in the secondary.
The cornerback is ranked as a 3-star by both Rivals and 247 Sports, but has a good chance to exceed the expectations that come with that rank. His tape shows a lot of potential, and Wisconsin Badgers Football has the coaching staff in place to develop and mold this type of talent.
Strengths
- Big hitter and plays extremely physically.
- Shows good speed, which allows him to react quickly to run plays or dump-offs and to make up ground on receivers that get by him.
- Has good strength that allows him to fight through receivers trying to block him
- Very good tackler who doesn’t appear to overrun plays by being too aggressive
- Uses the boundary well in coverages
Weaknesses
- Improve his tackling technique. It may work in high school but likely won’t be as efficient in college.
- Improve his coverage technique and footwork. He’s a physical corner and could improve his fluidity in coverage.
- Ball skills? His tape didn’t show anything on this front, so hard to know if he can create turnovers through interceptions.
Overall, Woodward looks like a great prospect for the Wisconsin Badgers Football program to secure a commitment from. He has the physical tools to play at the next level, and technique can be taught. If cornerback isn’t his position of the future, his physical playstyle could fit perfectly at safety, where he can read and react to what he sees.
Hank Weber (Defensive End)
Hank Weber was the next player to commit to the Wisconsin Badgers Football program. The Brentwood, Tenn. native was also a part of the official visit group in town last weekend. Weber is ranked as a 3-star by both Ricvals and 247 Sports but has been an important target for the coaching staff. He has an ideal and moldable frame at 6-foot-4, 260 pounds, and is the first defensive lineman in the 2024 class.
Wisconsin Badgers Football has had a ton of success in bringing in slightly overlooked defensive prospects and turning them into NFL players. That isn’t a prediction of what Weber will become but a testament to how well this Wisconsin Badgers Football program has developed players. There may be new coaching staff on campus, but they have no shortage of examples of player development. The tape on Weber shows a ton of potential and makes it easy to see why he was an important target.
Strengths
- Impressive short area quickness. His straight-line speed is also good, but he’ll likely have to put some weight on at the next level. The short area burst is more likely to stick than the straight-line speed.
- Good eye discipline. When young players are physically dominant at the high school level, it’s not uncommon for them to trust that and forget about the basics that are needed at the next level.
- Good power. On multiple occasions, he’s shown shoving the offensive lineman backward. That type of power is key to being able to get to the quarterback in multiple ways.
Weaknesses
- Handwork. This is a tough one because most high school players don’t need great handwork, but it’ll be important at the collegiate level.
- Wider variety of pass-rushing moves. In the limited film I could find, he looked to mainly win with power or a short area juke. Although both are important, improving technique and adding to the arsenal will be huge.
Overall, Weber looks like a player with a high floor. The physical tools are there already. He’ll be able to refine his technique with high-level coaching and will add size and strength in a college-level weight program like Wisconsin Badgers Football.
Kevin Heywood (Offensive Tackle)
Kevin Heywood was the next domino to fall as he joins Derek Jensen as the second 4-star offensive lineman for the class of 2024. After Penn State poached a few players, the Wisconsin Badgers Football Recruiting staff returned the favor as the Royersford, Pa. native chose to head west.
Heywood is a highly sought-after offensive tackle, and it’s easy to see why with his projectable 6-foot-7, 290-pound frame and impressive film. Offensive coordinator Phil Longo has made it clear he wants to win in the trenches, and adding a player like Heywood helps in a big way.
Strengths
- People mover. This may seem obvious, but it had to be stated. Plain and simple, Kevin Heywood moves defenders out of the way.
- Very good athleticism. It’s not uncommon to see big-bodied offensive line recruits. It’s the ones that can move those bodies well that get rated highly and find success at the next level.
- Ideal size. This is something that needs to be brought up. At 6-foot-7, he has the ideal frame to play tackle. He’ll need to add some weight and strength, but he has the length you look for in an offensive tackle.
- Finisher. Every year, there are a few under-the-radar offensive linemen at the combine that make a jump in the rankings because they finish their blocks well. Heywood does that in spades.
Weaknesses
- Much like Weber, I will put handwork on here. Due to his size, handwork wasn’t needed much in high school but will be key at the next level.
- Improve pad level. This is something that is easily correctable with coaching, but he appears to block in a very straight-up position in high school. Much like handwork, it’s not as important when you’re bigger than everyone. At the next level, that will get punished by bigger, stronger competition.
- Footwork. I want to add this here because you don’t know how good your footwork is until you are tested by better athletes. On film, there isn’t much to point out, but he also doesn’t have to move laterally much to block bigger, faster defenders.
Overall, Heywood is a dynamite Wisconsin Badgers Football recruit. He has the ideal size and length to play offensive tackle and the athleticism to be a great one. That mobility will come in handy in an offense that needs an offensive lineman to be able to do multiple things in a fast-paced offense.
Ryan Cory (Interior Offensive Lineman)
Ryan Cory was the second player to commit to Wisconsin Badgers Football on Tuesday. Not only that, but he was the second offensive lineman and the second player from Pennsylvania. Cory was a consensus 3-star prospect and also had an extensive offer list.
Unlike the other two offensive linemen already committed to Wisconsin for 2024, Cory plays on the interior of the line. He’s a few inches shorter than Jensen and Heywood at 6-foot-4 and has the perfect frame to work the inside. His highlights show a player very capable of handling those responsibilities at the next level.
Strengths
- Assignment recognition. This is tougher to do on the inside of the offensive line as your assignment isn’t always the player directly in front of you. He does a great job of not only finding his assignment but moving on to the next defender at the right time.
- Mobility. Being able to get out and move as an offensive lineman is huge in a spread offense, and Cory can do that and then some. He cannot only get to the second level smoothly but operate well in space once he’s there.
- Hand usage. Unlike the other big guys that have been covered, we get to see Cory use his hands, and he does it well. Whether it’s locking on to defenders or using their moves against them to knock them to the ground, he uses his hands well.
- Violence. Offensive linemen are used to contact, but it looks like Cory seeks it out more than most. He finishes blocks against big guys with power and doesn’t take it easy on smaller defenders.
Weaknesses
- Discipline. Although being a nasty blocker is a positive, more often than not, it can also get you into trouble at times. Finding the fine line between finishing blocks and potentially being flagged for penalties is key.
There truly isn’t much to nitpick with Cory, as he looks like he’ll be a great addition to the Wisconsin Badgers Football offensive line. He looks college-ready and won’t have to put on much weight to play sooner than most recruits at that position.
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