Wisconsin Football: Updates from the recruiting trail

Wisconsin Football continues to add new names to the recruiting board for the 2020 class.

The Wisconsin football coaching staff extended three new offers to class of 2020 recruits over the last week or so. We have you covered with some background information on each prospect, along with how the Badgers fit in each recruitment at the moment.

Tre Williams- Defensive Tackle

St. John’s College High School (Washington, D.C.) defensive tackle Tre Williams was offered by Wisconsin last Monday.

Per the 247Sports composite, Williams is a 4-star prospect and ranks as the No. 8 defensive tackle and No. 120 overall player in the 2020 class.

Watching some of his film, the first thing that really stands out about Williams is his agility in the trenches, especially for a kid with the impressive size he has at 6’3 and 308 lbs. You definitely don’t see that type of power/agility combination very often, hence why he is sitting so high in the rankings and has some of the country’s best programs vying for his pledge.

Williams boasts a formidable offer list that includes schools such as Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Virginia Tech. The Buckeyes appear to be the favorite at the moment, and with their pedigree and track record of cranking out defensive linemen to the NFL, it’s not difficult to see why.

Wisconsin did have success recruiting in the nation’s capital in the 2019 cycle, earning a commitment from cornerback Dean Engram. The odds of emerging as the victor do not appear to be great, but we will see if the Badgers can gain any traction in Williams’ loaded recruitment going forward.

Garnett Hollis- Athlete

Battle Ground Academy (Franklin, TN) athlete Garnett Hollis made his Wisconsin offer public last Wednesday.

Hollis plays both wide receiver and cornerback for his high school team, but it looks like the Badgers are recruiting him as a corner, as Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach Jim Leonhard was tagged in his tweet announcing his offer.

Hollis is a 3-star recruit who ranks as the No. 66 athlete and No. 745 player in the nation.  In addition to Wisconsin, he holds offers from schools such as Cincinnati, Louisville, Vanderbilt, Virginia, and Wake Forest.

He may not be the most touted prospect at the moment, but this is an intriguing offer by Wisconsin. Jim Leonhard knows a thing or two about what it takes to excel as a defensive back, and Hollis has certainly got some tools. He has exceptional length for the position at 6’1 to go along with dynamic athleticism that really stands out in his film.

Wisconsin is by far Hollis’ most high-profile offer at the moment. There is still a long way to go in his recruitment obviously, but you would imagine if the Badgers decide to push hard they would have a good shot.

Jordan Botelho- Inside Linebacker

St. Louis (Honolulu, HI) inside linebacker Jordan Botelho was offered by the Badgers on Sunday.

Botelho is a 4-star recruit who currently sits as the No. 6 inside linebacker and No. 176 overall player nationally.

Watching some video on him, it quickly became evident why the recruiting services are so high on Botelho. He has great speed as a linebacker, as his 247Sports profile has him clocked at a verified 4.88 in the forty-yard dash at 6’3 and 220 lbs. That really pops on the field, as Botelho shows great closing speed and an ability blows by blockers.

This seems like another long shot offer for Wisconsin. Botelho has already been offered by programs such as Oregon, Washington, Cal, Georgia, Arizona State, and LSU. Stanford and UCLA have not offered yet, but have also shown interest.

Oregon and Washington appear to be trending for Botelho, and those two schools are two of the dominant recruiting forces out west. That being said, perhaps Wisconsin will be able to sell him on the program’s impressive track record of developing elite linebackers.

The Badgers currently have two commitments in the class of 2020 from offensive tackles Jack Nelson (Stoughton, WI) and Trey Wedig (Wales, WI).