Wisconsin Football extended an offer to another committed prospect in the class of 2019 last week.
Wisconsin has already flipped one recruit in the 2019 class in former Kansas tight end commit Clay Cundiff, and it appears as though they could very well do the same with Rutgers linebacker pledge Mohamed Toure, who was on campus last weekend to take in the Badgers’ victory over Illinois.
The latest committed player the Wisconsin staff has set its sights on is East Kentwood (Grand Rapids, MI) wide receiver Stephan Bracey.
Jon McNamara of Rivals reported last Friday that Wisconsin had extended an offer to Bracey, who just committed to Western Michigan on October 9th over other offers from Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Toledo, and Western Illinois. The 3-star is flying a bit under the radar on the recruiting circuit at the moment, ranking as No. 185 receiver and No. 1543 overall player nationally.
The 5’9, 160-pound Bracey has a skillset than largely resembles that of Wisconsin’s freshman kickoff returner/wide receiver Aron Cruickshank. Like Cruickshank, he has lethal speed that, when paired with his elusiveness in the open field, makes him a home run threat whenever the ball is in his hands. Bracey’s highlight reel from his first seven games this season is a must-watch, as it is are right up there with the most exciting I have seen from Wisconsin’s targets this season.
I think Bracey would be a solid late pick-up for Wisconsin’s 2019 class. Over the last few recruiting cycles, Paul Chryst and his staff have emphasized infusing the program with more of the type of raw speed and athleticism that regularly litters the rosters of rivals such as Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan, and Bracey certainly fits that mold. He would be another exciting playmaker that the Badgers could utilize both in the return game and on offense in the slot, especially with screen passes and those jet sweeps that Badger fans have grown to expect from Chryst’s offense.
Wisconsin should have a good shot at getting another flip here.
Bracey has had a relationship with the Badgers for a while now, and he has already seen what Madison has to offer after visiting back in September for the BYU game. Wisconsin also has a commitment from 5-star offensive tackle Logan Brown, a teammate of Bracey’s at East Kentwood, and is a top option at the moment for another teammate, 3-star offensive guard Dallas Fincher, in the class of 2020.
Wisconsin can also use Cruickshank’s success as a true freshman this season to its advantage. The two speedsters are nearly identical in stature (Cruickshank is actually 6 pounds lighter than Bracey) and in their skillsets, which should give Bracey confidence that the staff knows how to effectively utilize him and will not hesitate to do so from the outset of his career if he is ready.
While Wisconsin is definitely Bracey’s best offer to date, I don’t think it is likely that he jumps on it right away for a couple of reasons. First, his commitment to Western Michigan is very fresh and one can understand if he would be hesitant to back off that pledge so soon. Second, it’s clear that Bracey’s stock is rising right now, so there’s a good chance he will opt to drag this out a bit longer and see what other offers come his way.
Wisconsin’s only current 2019 commit who is expected to play wide receiver is 3-star Marcus Graham (Mount Holly, NC), though the staff did also recently extend an offer to 5-star Kyle Ford (Orange, CA), but it remains to be seen if the staff will even be successful in getting Ford on campus for a visit.