The Wisconsin Badgers Football Recruiting recap is back early this week as the coaching staff has been busy sending out offers. Since there hasn’t been much news in terms of transfers or commitments, I’ll focus just on the Badgers’ offers.
There will be no recruiting recap next week, but we’ll keep up to date with the offers so there isn’t a huge gap between updates.
Wisconsin Badgers Football Recruiting Offers
Landyn Locke (QB)
Landyn Locke is the brother of Badgers quarterback Braedyn Locke. The younger brother is a 6’3″, 180-pound sophomore out of Texas that wracked up 1,823 yards and 31 touchdowns in just eight games last season. His tape shows a quarterback that fits what coach Luke Fickell is looking for. He’s mobile, yet he’s still a pass-first quarterback.
He throws well on the run and anticipates windows well. High-level coaching can clean up the mechanics, but he has a good arm and feel for the pocket. Wisconsin Badgers Football Recruiting offered very early as they were only his fourth offer overall and easily the best so far.
Taariq Denson (RB)
Taariq Denson is a 5’9″, 193-pound freshman out of Maryland. His film is exactly what you’d expect with that frame. He has solid speed but isn’t a game-breaker in the open field. He read blocks well and hits the hole hard, on top of doing a great job of picking up blitzes. It’ll be interesting to see how he develops physically, as he’ll likely get taller. His lateral agility could very well improve as well. So far, he has four offers, with Maryland and Wisconsin being the biggest.
CJ Jimcoily (DB)
CJ Jimcoily is a 4-star defensive back out of Nashville, Tenn. The 6’3″, 196-pound sophomore already has 26 offers, rising daily. His film is extremely impressive, making it obvious he works very hard on his craft. He’s polished for his age, and to put it simply, he locks receivers down. He flips his hips extremely well in coverage and has the speed to match virtually every receiver at the high school level. He also isn’t afraid of contact as he’s a sound tackler and gets off blocks to make plays.
Michael Thomas III (WR)
Michael Thomas III is a 6’1, 185-pound receiver out of New Jersey. The sophomore has the ideal size to play receiver, and he uses it extremely well on tape. He has very good straight-line speed and is by no means a slouch in the open field. I wouldn’t call him shifty, but he finds a way to elude tackles. He adjusts very well to the ball in the air and is smooth while running routes. The Badgers got in relatively early, as Thomas III is sitting at nine offers, but it’s an impressive list so far.
Brandon Bennett (ATH)
Brandon Bennett is a 6′, 170-pound athlete freshman out of Florida. There isn’t much football film on him yet but the few clips I was able to find show a kid with a ton of potential. He runs track and can absolutely fly. The clips I saw were of him on offense, and it looks like he plays wide receiver currently. It will be interesting to see how his sophomore season goes. He already has offers from Miami, Penn State, Texas A&M, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Jalen Lott (CB/WR)
Jalen Lott is a 6′, 165-pound freshman out of Texas. Like Bennett, Lott also runs track and does so at an extremely high level, as he is a five-time USA/AAU Jr Olympic champion. It looks like he played for the freshman and varsity teams last season, which makes his film difficult to evaluate. What’s easy to figure out is he’s a huge playmaker. He glides around the field and is easily the fastest player out there. He has strong hands and out-battles cornerbacks. In coverage, he doesn’t shy away from contact and makes plays on the ball. He’s still very raw but has unbelievable potential. He has offers from Texas, Baylor, and Michigan already.
Isaiah McMorris (WR)
Isaiah McMorris is a 4-star receiver out of Nebraska. The 6′, 167-pound junior is fun to watch on tape. He has sub-4.5 speed while being extremely shifty and having very good contact balance. Unlike many receivers at the high school level, he sells fakes very well while running routes and can go up and get the ball. He’s a threat to score any time he gets the ball in the open field. Nebraska appears to be the favorite at the moment, but I imagine Phil Longo can show him some exciting ways to get him involved in the offense.
Ethan Utley (DE)
Wisconsin Badgers Football Recruiting has put some time into Nashville, Tenn. as Ethan Utley is another recruit from that area. The 6’4, 265-pound sophomore is a highly sought-after recruit, and it’s easy to see why. His highlights show a great combination of size, strength, speed, and technique. He’s great with his hands, which you don’t see often at his age. He plays extremely disciplined football as he always keeps his eyes on the backfield and doesn’t take himself out of run plays by being too aggressive. Tennessee is currently the favorite for his services.
Tarrion Grant (CB/WR)
Tarrion Grant is a long, athletic, 4-star playmaker out of Tennessee. The class of 2025 prospect stands at 6’3 and weighs 185 pounds. Even though he’s listed as a cornerback and a receiver, the majority of his film shows him in coverage. Although he looks good as a pass-catcher, he looks like he could develop into a very good safety.
He is a cover corner at the moment, but it looks like he relies on his speed a little too often. It works for him, but he does best while reading and reacting. He also isn’t afraid of contact as he often comes off of his assignment to break up a pass elsewhere. So far, he’s only visited colleges in Tennessee but has a ton of offers.
Jaelyne Matthews (OL)
Jaelyne Matthews is a 5-star offensive tackle out of New Jersey. The sophomore stands at 6’7 and weighs in at 295 pounds. He played offense and defense this past season, but his future looks brightest on the offensive line. His film shows a slightly raw prospect in terms of technique but all of the physical attributes are there. He’s a road grader in the run game and has great mobility. He is committed to Penn State, but the Badgers must feel like they have a shot if they offered this late into the process.
Jaylan Morgan (ATH)
Tennessee offers continue as Jaylan Morgan, the 6′, 180-pound sophomore, was offered by Wisconsin Badgers Football Recruiting last week. Morgan plays a safety/hybrid role on defense while also playing receiver. Although he has good size and speed, he looks better suited for defense. He reads and reacts extremely well, does a great job of playing physically, and is very good at making plays on the ball. He only has eight offers so far, but Alabama, Tennessee, and Oklahoma are part of that group.
Naiim Parrish (CB/WR)
Naiim Parrish is a 3-star athlete out of New Jersey. The 5’11, 165-pound sophomore has 11 offers so far and is likely to see that number continue to rise. His 2022 highlights show a young man who is very good at reading and reacting to a play. He does play the role of an aggressive cover corner as well, but he looks most comfortable playing in space and reading the play. He’s a very good tackler and has good ball skills as well. So far, he’s visited Penn State, Syracuse, and Rutgers.
Rowan Byrne (OL)
Rowan Byrne is a 6’6, 285-pound offensive lineman out of the state of New York. The Badgers may have jumped in at the right time, as he’s taken 10+ visits, and there is no lean reported at this point. The sophomore does a great job of finishing blocks and advancing to the correct assignment on longer-developing plays. He also appears to move very well while having solid footwork and hand placement.
Maxwell Riley (OL)
The focus on the offensive line continued with Maxwell Riley, as the Ohio native picked up an offer last week. The 6’5, 265-pound freshman was a varsity starter, and it’s easy to tell why. His film shows a young man that physically had no issues keeping up with older players. He has very good mobility, holds up well against heavier players, and does a great job of pushing speed rushers wide. He already has an impressive list of offers, with Ohio State, Michigan, Miami, and Florida State being involved.
Tucker Kattus (OL)
We go back to back with freshman, Ohio-based offensive linemen. The 6’7, 270-pound offensive tackle started on varsity as a freshman and looked impressive doing it. He physically dominated players older than him, and the defender had virtually no chance of disengaging from him once he started to block them. He didn’t appear to have amazing lateral quickness, which means he could end up as an interior offensive lineman at the next level. Wisconsin was his sixth offer, with Michigan being the other big name.
Brandon Caesar (DE)
Brandon Caesar is a 6’4, 245-pound defensive end out of Ohio. I couldn’t find a video on the rising sophomore, but it looks like he plays multiple sports. Football is his main focus, but he also wrestles and plays volleyball. The bottom line is this kid is strong and extremely athletic. He’s already visited Notre Dame, Penn State, and Pitt, so Wisconsin Badgers Football Recruiting has some work to do.
Zamarii Sanders (WR)
Zamarri Sanders is a freshman wide receiver out of Florida. The 5’10, 160-pound athlete doesn’t have any film I could find, but much like a couple of other players on this list, he competes in track at a high level. With offers from Miami, Texas A&M, West Virginia, and now Wisconsin, schools are already noticing his playmaking potential.
Tyreek King (ATH)
The offers for plays in Tennessee continue with Yreek King. The 6′, 165-pound freshman is shown playing wide receiver, and it’s not shocking as to why. He gallops past defenders for easy touchdowns and has reliable hands. He isn’t forced to run over crisp routes at this point, but his straight-line speed is undeniable. He doesn’t show much wiggle in the open field but could very well end up being a more standard outside receiver at the next level. So far, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Wisconsin are his biggest offers.
Chas Smith (DB)
Another Tennessee offer, Chas Smith, is a 6’1, 155-pound defensive back who enters his sophomore season. He already has 11 offers, and his film shows why. He’s a long, instinctual corner. He does a good job of carrying receivers downfield and isn’t afraid of stepping up to stop the run. As he puts on weight, he’ll hold up even better in that department.
Milan Parris (WR)
Milan Parris is a 6’4, 185-pound receiver as a freshman. I wasn’t able to find any tape on him, but Purdue and Wisconsin are the first two major programs to offer him a scholarship. He plays basketball as well, so it’ll be interesting to see how much more he grows and if his body suits basketball or football better.
Shavar Young Jr. (ATH)
Shavar Young Jr. is a 6’1, 175-pound athlete out of (stop me if you’ve heard this before) Tennessee. The freshman already has 13 offers. He played offense and defense as a freshman, along with returning kicks. After watching his film, I still can’t decide which side he looks more comfortable on, and that’s a major compliment. He looks great at finding soft spots in the defense to help out his quarterback while having great hands and good open-field agility. On the other side, he shows those great hands with the instinct to be in the right place at the right time.
Taevion Swint (RB)
Wisconsin Badgers Football Recruiting continues to search for future running backs, and Taevion Swint is a big target. He, unfortunately, committed to UCF on Mother’s Day, but the 4-star sophomore out of Florida will likely continue to be pursued. He’s listed as 5’10, and 180 pounds. His tape shows a back with good speed, vision, and contact balance. He appears to be more of a plant-and-go type of back but will make subtle moves that allow him to brush off tackles.
Ricky Knight III (ATH)
Ricky Knight III is the next in line of Florida-based players to receive an offer. The 4-star junior appears highest on Florida State and Miami, but Wisconsin got in late, so things could change. Although he plays receiver and defensive back for his high school team, he looks like a corner at the next level. He looks very smooth on tape and can identify plays very early, which leads to him being able to make plays. He’s a good tackler and has good speed to carry receivers downfield.
Jabree Coleman (RB)
Jabree Coleman is a 4-star Georgia commit that Wisconsin is hoping to lure away. The sophomore out of Pennsylvania is 6’1 and 201 pounds. His highlights are about what you’d expect from a high school back his size. He’s a downhill runner with good vision, solid speed that allows him to get around the edge, and soft hands. He looks a lot like Braelon Allen while running the ball, which is always good.
Saimire Locks (DB/WR)
Saimire Locks is a 6’2, 160-pound athlete out of Pennsylvania. The sophomore plays defensive back and receiver, but the majority of his highlights are of him on defense. He has good ball skills and length, although he doesn’t look quite as comfortable against shifty receivers. He’s a willing tackler and is the type of athlete colleges look for to add to their secondary.
Luke Nickel (QB)
Wisconsin Badgers football hopes to keep the good times rolling at quarterback as they offered Luke Nickel, a 4-star QB, out of Georgia. The 6’2, 205-pound sophomore has the ideal size for the position. His film is incredible as he continually puts the ball in perfect positions for his receivers to make plays. He’s not a running quarterback, but his legs are a threat. He throws well on the move, has the arm strength to make all of the throws, and is extremely accurate. He already has 18 offers, with many more to come.
Dominic Funk (DE/TE)
Dominic Funke is a 6’3, 205-pound athlete out of Massachusetts. The freshman played both sides of the ball and made an impact. His film looks like that of a senior with how polished he is as a pass rusher. He has a full arsenal of moves, strength, and speed to cause havoc with physical traits alone.
He shows a spin and swim move, using his hands well to keep the offensive lineman from getting locked in. His hudl tape didn’t show any highlights of him as a tight end, but it’s easy to see why he’d find success at the position. He already has 4 offers, and it’s good Wisconsin got in early.
That’ll catch us up on last week’s Wisconsin Badgers Football recruiting offers. We see a lot of focus on southern states and the defensive back positions. The good news is the Wisconsin staff is trying to get ahead of the pack on many of these younger players!
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