Update: Badgers Prepare for National Signing Day

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

College football’s National Signing Day is tomorrow. The recruiting cycle for the high school senior prospects of the 2014 recruiting class is coming to a close. All of the hours of recruiting boil down to this final day. Excitement is the first word that comes to mind for most die-hard college football fans.

Gary Andersen has put together a very respectable class but isn’t looking to be done quite yet. Lets examine the newest information of the Badgers’ prospects and possibilities heading into the big day.

TODAY: The Badgers have added a fifth wide receiver to their 2014 class.

Three-Star WR George Rushing. Rushing, who hails from Fort Lauderdale, FL is the newest Badger. Rushing joins three-star receivers Natrell Jamerson, Krenwick Sanders and Chris Jones along with four-star receiver Dareian Watkins. Lets just say this recruiting class is deep with talented wide receivers. Talk about exciting.

Rushing has great size at 6-foot-2 and weighs 189 lbs. Earlier this month he de-committed from Louisville and also had offers on the table from Boston College, TCU, Northern Illinois and others. Maybe letting him hold Ron Dayne’s Heisman Trophy on his last visit did the trick (check it out).

Top Prospects To Watch On National Signing Day:

Four-Star CB Chris Lammons. The five-foot-nine cornerback de-committed from the university of Florida after Wisconsin intensified their push for him in the last two months. Lammons is deciding between Bucky and South Carolina on NSD. This would be a huge piece for the Badgers 2014 recruiting class. The Badgers have picked up a few defensive backs for this class but none as coveted as Lammons. I have a good feeling about the Badgers’ chances here.

Three-Star S D’Cota Dixon. Dixon is said to be deciding between Wisconsin, Michigan State and West Virginia. The prognosticators at 247Sports currently have the Badgers as the leader for his commitment at 92% (wow). That’s a big lead but as with all things on and around NSD; nothing is guaranteed. He also holds offers from Auburn and Arkansas.

Three-Star DE Rohan Blackwood. It was an exciting day when Blackwood committed to the Badgers. Thus, it wasn’t incredibly thrilling to find out that he de-committed. People once thought Blackwood was gone for good but on the eve of NSD; he remains uncommitted. It is rumored that Blackwood is considering South Florida, Marshall and… that’s right, Wisconsin. I wouldn’t hold out too much hope here but hey, anything can happen.

The Badgers are sitting fairly comfortable on the offensive side of this recruiting class so these defensive prospects would be huge pickups for Wisconsin.

Top Prospects That Are Headed Elsewhere:

Four-Star DT Craig Evans. Evans has committed to the Michigan State Spartans. Fret not Badgers fans, although Evans says he was always high on the Spartans, it was his academics that kept him out of Wisconsin. Wisconsin university stuck to their academic standards and Evans could not meet them. Integrity.

Four-Star OT Kaleb McGary. Simply put, McGary decided to stay home. Again, it isn’t a knock on Wisconsin that McGary won’t be wearing cardinal and white next year. Every year kids flirt with the possibility of heading to the other side of the country before deciding to stay close to home. He said, “Wisconsin was great and had that college town feel but it was just too far way.”

To see the Badgers’ complete 2014 recruiting class (before NSD) click here.

The best part about following the recruiting trail? After tomorrow the heat turns up for the 2015 recruiting class and the excitement for the future begins to build up once again.

Not to mention, Bucky has this kid named Austin Kafentzis, a four-star quarterback with a cannon arm and good speed already committed to the 2015 class. Not a bad cornerstone for next year’s class.