Wisconsin Football: Freshman S Reggie Pearson Jr.

Wisconsin Football safety Reggie Pearson Jr. is the next subject of Badger of Honor’s Freshman Focus series. Get to know the freshman coming to Madison this fall.

Wisconsin football picked up their first commitment of the 2018 class with Reggie Pearson Jr. He committed over a year before he signed his letter of intent.

Pearson is a 5’10, 180-pound safety out of Inkster, Michigan. According to 247 Sports’ composite ratings, Pearson was a 3-star safety, and the 50th-rated safety in the country. Growing up, he was a Michigan State fan, a rival of Wisconsin. During his recruitment, he never received an offer from the Spartans or Michigan Wolverines.

He had a handful of offers from some mid-major schools such as Bowling Green, Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan. When Wisconsin came knocking and offered him a scholarship, the opportunity to play for a top school in the Big Ten was too good to pass up.

He is joined by Rachad Wildgoose Jr. as the only safeties in the 2018 class. Pearson enrolled early and had a chance to join the Wisconsin football team for spring practices. Being around the team and getting some practices in this spring should help put him in a good position to see the field this season.

247 Sports Evaluation

"Heady, productive football player who was a four-year varsity starter in high school. Does not have prototypical measurables as far as height or timed speed, but has made many plays despite that because of understanding of the game and toughness. Will play in the box, get physical and not only contribute in run support but make impactful hits and tackles. Smart and technical in coverage, he is very rarely out of position and does a good job of diagnosing plays and getting to the right spot. Good ball skills and will make plays on the football when the plays are there to be made."

Reggie Pearson is exactly what the Badgers are looking for in a safety. He reminds me of another former Wisconsin safety, who is now running this Wisconsin defense, Jim Leonhard.

Both were considered to be undersized but were able to make plays by being in the right place at the right time. Although it’s too early to compare a freshman to an all-time Badger great, it’s still fun to see the similarities.

Next: Wisconsin's College Football Playoff Scenarios

Pearson could be a possible replacement for D’Cota Dixon and be a big part of the Wisconsin defense in the future.