Wisconsin Football targeting a committed fullback
By Sam Land
Wisconsin Football is looking to flip a fullback currently committed to a MAC school.
Flipping season continues in the 2019 recruiting class.
Wisconsin has already secured a commitment from former Kansas tight end pledge Clay Cundiff and is in a good position to pick up two other players committed to other schools in wide receiver Stephan Bracey (Western Michigan) and linebacker Mohamed Toure (Rutgers).
You can now add another player to the list of potential flips.
On Monday, the staff extended an offer to Archbishop Hoban (Akron, OH) fullback Quan Easterling, who has been a member of Akron’s recruiting class since June. At the time of his commitment to the Zips, his only other FBS offers were from Marshall and Toledo.
Per 247Sports, Easterling is a 2-star prospect and ranks as the No. 174 athlete and No. 2256 overall player in the country. However, there’s a strong possibility that he will rise significantly in those rankings by the end of the 2019 recruiting cycle, as his senior film up to this point is very impressive, as we will discuss.
Regardless of the number of stars Easterling has right now on his recruiting profile, I love this offer. Few programs, if any, utilize fullbacks better than Wisconsin, and his skill set is a perfect fit with what Paul Chryst looks for at the position.
Easterling’s senior film is ten minutes of must-watch content.
It becomes evident immediately that he is an absolute mauler as a blocker, as it seems as though every time he lays his hands on a defender it results in the poor kid lying flat on his back. Simply put, Easterling is a dominant force at the high school level in the blocking game.
He’s not just a grinder, though, as he appears to have some soft hands as a receiver out of the backfield, as well as some intriguing speed.
The next step will be to get him on campus for a visit, which sounds like something Easterling is very interested in. However, I’m not so sure this will be the type of layup flip for the Badgers that you would expect with a player committed to a MAC school with no other Power 5 offers.
First, considering Wisconsin’s offer and how impressive his senior tape is, one would expect a few more Power 5 programs to throw their hats in the ring over the next few weeks.
In addition, though Akron may not contend for College Football Playoff appearances or play on a big stage like the Big Ten, it is Easterling’s hometown school, and he has had a relationship with them for much longer than he has had one with Wisconsin. Indeed, he told 247Sports’ Bill Greene that the offer from the Badgers was not one he anticipated, and while it is an exciting development in his recruitment, he still really likes the Zips’ coaching staff and the school itself.
That being said, considering this Wisconsin staff’s reputation for impressing recruits and their families with an honest, genuine approach, as well as the program’s proven track record of emphasizing fullbacks in the offense, my money is on Chryst and company to seal the deal with Easterling in the end.