The Wisconsin football staff has begun to develop a relationship with a top defender in the state of Illinois following an offer.
The Badgers staff extended a scholarship offer to 2026 three-star cornerback Nick Hankins, an Illinois native and a player the staff had kept an eye on for awhile. Hankins also holds scholarship offers from Big Ten Conference rivals Illinois, as well as MAC schools Kent State, Miami of Ohio, and Northern Illinois. Missouri State also holds a scholarship offer for Hankins, but likely will not be a team in play in the future for Hankins.
Hankins, a talented defensive back, not only has his own sets sight on greatness at the collegiate level, but as do many coaches. Missouri, Iowa, and Iowa State are three big name schools who have kept close eyes on Hankins, and will likely become major players moving forward.
The dynamic defensive back is known for his athleticism and ability to do basically whatever his team may need. Hankins, also an accomplished basketball player, stated he is “all football” moving forward and feels he can seriously impact a team. Hankins stated, “I can play both sides of the ball and I have D1 talent on both sides of the ball.”
Hankins also added, “I can also hit and most DB’s don’t want to do that now.” As a defensive back, Hankins has shown the most promise given his athleticism, but with his skill set, he can play virtually any skill position for his future home team.
@Haynes_Badgers Blessed to receive another offer from Wisconsin @Ken_Turner_ @Tpolley29 @BWestAthletics
@@ecx2b @BWestFootball #agtg pic.twitter.com/yMJVZ1zzDD— Nick hankins (@nickhankins113) October 5, 2024
The scholarship offer from the Wisconsin football staff comes at a key time for Hankins as his play on the field has been truly heating up. It is only a matter of time before the 2026 recruit becomes inundated with plenty of new scholarship offers and programs interested.
Wisconsin Football Staff Offers Nick Hankins Following Exceptional Play
If there is one constant trend in the Wisconsin football recruiting offers over the past few seasons, it has been that the staff rewards recruits with scholarships often.
When a player is truly succeeding on the field, the team will often extend a scholarship offer as a sort of reward, or perhaps a sign that the team has been watching. For Hankins, Wisconsin had seen enough and knew they had to get into the recruiting race and begin to create a connection with the recruit.
As the recruiting process continues to heat up, Hankins has begun to focus on the aspects of the process that he is looking out for. Specifically, the recruit has begun to draw up a list of what he is looking for in his future collegiate home. When asked, Hankins stated, “The environment is an important part because I love playing the game that I love in front of people that also love the game.”
Hankins also added that he is looking for a program that will allow him to become “developed” and offer a learning environment on the field.
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