Wisconsin Football: Badgers set to host several top targets for official visits

Looking to add to its 2020 class, Wisconsin Football is bringing in many of its top targets to Madison this weekend for official visits.

It’s no stretch to say that Wisconsin’s 2020 recruiting class could very well be made or broken this weekend, as the Badgers are set to host seven high-priority prospects (along with current linebacker commit Cole Dakovich) for official visits to Madison. Three of those recruits can be found on our list of Wisconsin’s Top 5 targets in the class.

Of the seven uncommitted players that the staff will be courting over the course of the weekend, Wisconsin could probably only be considered the current leader for just one. However, if all goes according to plan, it would not be a shock to see the Badgers vault to the top for some of the others by the time Monday rolls around. Time and time again, these official visits have proven to be the tipping point in the recruitments of players who ultimately decided to become Badgers, and with sunny skies and warm temperatures in the forecast, these guys are going to see Madison at its finest.

Aside from Dakovich, here are the targets who will be in town this weekend.

Malik Reed – LB (Chandler AZ)

Wisconsin is currently battling UCLA and Nebraska for the 3-star prospect Reed. The Bruins will be particularly tough to beat, as he has referred to them as his dream school in the past. However, the fact that he hasn’t yet committed to Chip Kelly’s program tells you his mind is clearly not made up yet.

Kalel Mullings – LB (Milton, MA)

Of all the players on this list of visitors, I’d consider Mullings to be the least likely to end up a Badger right now. Wisconsin could very likely be sitting outside his Top 5 at the moment, as the 4-star is high on the likes of Northwestern, Boston College, Clemson, Michigan, and Stanford. However, perhaps his visit this weekend can help the Badgers make up some ground.

Nash Hutmacher – DT (Chamberlain, SD)

Hutmacher has a Top 3 that includes Wisconsin, Nebraska, and
Oregon, but it seems as though this one will come down to either the Badgers or Huskers, with the latter probably holding a slight edge right now. However, while the 3-star has already taken an official to Nebraska, he has yet to take in Madison to this point in his recruitment. There’s a chance here for the Badgers to climb ahead if all goes according to plan.

Jordan Turner – LB (Farmington, MI)

Turner released a Top 5 earlier this week that includes Wisconsin, Northwestern, Michigan, Louisville, and Purdue. While the home-state Wolverines would probably be tough to beat out if the 3-star is a take for them, The Badgers could cement themselves near the top of that list by the end of the weekend.

DeaMonte Trayanum – RB (Akron, OH)

The 4-star ball carrier has an impressive offer list, though he appears to be the highest on Arizona State, Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin. He’s already taken an official to Tempe and has visits set up to Columbus and State College in the two weeks following his trip to Madison. The Buckeyes usually don’t miss on in-state kids they want, but, unlike Wisconsin, Ryan Day and his staff have been considering Trayanum on the defensive side of the ball as well. As running back is his preferred position at the next level, look for the Wisconsin staff to heavily pitch the program’s proud tradition in the backfield this weekend. That being said, I’d feel a lot better about this recruitment if the Badgers had the last visit here, as those Ohio State and Penn State visits loom large later this month.

Nick Herbig – LB (Honolulu, HI)

Herbig is the one player on this list that I could see pulling the trigger and committing, either by the end of the weekend or soon after, as it would be no stretch to say that the Badgers lead for him right now. This is especially exciting for Wisconsin fans considering he has never even been on campus before. West Coast schools such as Washington, California, Stanford, and UCLA are still in it for the 4-star, but Wisconsin should have a great shot to blow him away this weekend and seal the deal.

Daniel Jackson – WR (Mission, KS)

We recently listed the 4-star from Kansas as Wisconsin’s top overall target in the class, but the Badgers are currently facing stiff competition from the likes of Iowa State and Minnesota. The staff would love to lock him up this weekend, but with additional officials set up to the Gophers (June 14) and Iowa State (June 21), that seems unlikely. That being said, Wisconsin does have Jackson’s former high school teammate at Bishop Miege in quarterback Graham Mertz on the roster, and I would expect both the staff and the ballyhooed freshman signal caller to sell him hard on the vision of the two Kansas natives establishing a deadly downfield attack during their time together in Madison throughout the weekend. There’s a chance that could help swing this recruitment firmly in the direction of the Badgers.

All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.com