The Wisconsin Badgers are currently in position to potentially landed one of the best running backs in the 2026 class.
Shahn Alston, a four-star running back, is the 12th-ranked running back in the class and the 134th recruit overall currently in the class. Alston has 25 scholarship offers at the moment and while the recruit might be close to a commitment, more offers continue to fly in. The running back recently announced his final eight schools on social media after months of recruitment and college visits.
Among the schools named was the Wisconsin Badgers, who have been working diligently to land the running back since establishing contact nearly a year ago now. Alston also added Penn State, USC, Michigan State, Florida, Auburn, Nebraska, and Missouri to his top eight.
The running back plans on spending the winter to take visits to each school before cutting his list down again in the future. Alston hopes to announce his commitment to one of the programs in the spring, ahead of his senior season in high school. USC, Nebraska, Penn State, and Michigan State have all already hosted Alston this season, with his recent visits likely contributing to the cutdown in his list.
The factors in the recruitment of Alston have been rather interesting, as the recruit cannot necessarily pin down one or two factors that will lead to his commitment. However, some of the things that have caught the eye of Alston are the scheme on offense, play-calling, development of the position, and track record at the position.
Alston pointed out the use of the running back as a reason as to why he added USC to his list, while Michigan State made the list due to their development of running backs. Alston also loves when a coaching staff is close with players and allows for players to feel comfortable, which was major in the decision to add the Wisconsin Badgers to the list.
What Would the Wisconsin Badgers, Other Teams Receive With Shahn Alston?
On the field, Alston is a work-horse running back with incredible athleticism and great up-field vision when carrying the football.
The running back has 30 touchdowns in two seasons and has displayed an ability to score the football in a variety of ways by juking, leaping, and diving into scores. At 5-feet-9-inches, roughly 210-pounds, Alston is a powerful running back despite his elusive tendencies on the field and is not afraid to risk his body during a play.
Alston is already a very physically gifted player, but the running back also has plenty of time left to pack on even more size ahead of his collegiate debut.
The running back is not necessarily the top receiving back in the class, but has proven to be a very capable player when it comes to adapting to what the team may need.
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