Badger of Honor
Fansided

Know Your Wisconsin Badgers Recruiting Class of 2016: Sam Brodner

By Taylor Johnson

Sep 12, 2015; Madison, WI, USA; General view of Camp Randall Stadium prior to the game between the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks and Wisconsin Badgers. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2015; Madison, WI, USA; General view of Camp Randall Stadium prior to the game between the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks and Wisconsin Badgers. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

After de-committing from Vanderbilt and giving his committment to Wisconsin in a one month span, running back Sam Brodner is ready to get to work in Madison to try to earn some early playing time.

It’s no secret that the Wisconsin Badgers year in and year out will run the football down the opposition’s throats and why shouldn’t they-it’s been very successful for them. So as a high school running back looking to find success at the next level, Madison. WI seems like a pretty good fit. That’s a big reason why Sam Brodner flipped his committment from Vanderbilt to Wisconsin. A chance to find success running the football and an opportunity to gain playing time early on in his career.

Related Story: Corey Clement, Vince Biegel Named to Watch Lists

Brodner, a Glen Ellyn, IL native, first committed to Vanderbilt in June of 2015 after many teams, including Wisconsin, wanted to use him on the defensive side of the ball. But after losing interest in the Commodores, Brodner opened his recruiting back up and that is where Wisconsin gave Brodner a long, hard second look and this time at running back. One month later, Brodner gave the Badgers his committment.

A three-star recruit, Brodner received more than a few offers from programs around the country. Besides Wisconsin and Vanderbilt offering the talented running back, schools such as Bowling Green, Illinois, Iowa, Nevada, Syracuse, and Wyoming also showed plenty of interest. According to 247Sports, Brodner was ranked 51st at the running back position in the country and 23rd overall in the state of Illinois.

Next: Most Important Badgers of 2016

Although the Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year would love to play early on, I don’t see that happening in the 2016 season. With so much depth at the running back position this year it would be very tough to get him snaps in the regular season. There is a very good chance, however, that in 2017 Brodner will be competing for serious playing time.