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Wisconsin Football: Badgers beat out blue bloods for TE Cam Large

By Sam Land

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 03: Paul Chryst, head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers, watches from the sidelines during the first half of the Big Ten Championship game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 3, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 03: Paul Chryst, head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers, watches from the sidelines during the first half of the Big Ten Championship game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 3, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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Wisconsin Football added tight end Cam Large to its 2020 recruiting class Tuesday evening, beating out some of college football’s top programs for his services.

Commitment No. 14 in the 2020 class is in for Wisconsin.

After weeks of speculation among Badger fans that he was the recruit that gave his pledge to the staff back on August 1 when the 2020 “bat signal” went out, tight end Cam Large (Dedham, MA) at long last publicly announced his commitment to Wisconsin on Twitter Tuesday evening. Ranked by the 247Sports composite as the nation’s No. 19 tight end and No. 554 overall player, Large had been one of the staff’s top targets, regardless of position, for months.

He’s currently rated just a 3-star prospect, but he had a 5-star offer list to choose from that is probably more indicative of just how talented a player the Badgers are getting here. Wisconsin beat out college football royalty to secure Large’s services, coming out on top of fellow finalists Georgia, Ohio State, and Alabama. He also held additional offers from Boston College, Duke, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Penn State, Syracuse, TCU, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia, among others.

To add a tight end of Large’s caliber in this class is a major victory for the Badgers, who could very well lose Jake Ferguson to the NFL should he have the type of season most are expecting from him this year. Behind him is a group of players who, while talented, haven’t proved much at this level yet. Even as things sit right now with Wisconsin’s current projected depth chart at tight end, there really is little clarity on who will see major snaps moving forward aside from Ferguson.

While a great deal can and will obviously change between now and when Large arrives on campus, there’s a strong possibility he will have a shot to step in and earn a role immediately, competing with the likes of Luke Benzschawel, Jack Eschenbach, Gabe Lloyd, Hayden Rucci, and Clay Cundiff. Aside from Benzschawel to an extent (and even he has yet to record an official college catch), all of those players are unproven commodities right now.

Aside from taking into account the level of competition he will likely face when he arrives on campus, Large should have shot to get on the field right away based on his physical tools alone. Though you can expect him to pack on additional weight to his frame in college, at 6’5 and 240 pounds with a sculpted frame, he already has the size to play tight end in the Big Ten.

In addition to being one of the more athletic tight ends Wisconsin has brought in over the last few recruiting cycles, Large’s case for early playing time should also be bolstered by the type of versatile skill set he brings to the table and that Wisconsin loves to have at the position. He’s definitely a guy you can count on to do the dirty work as a blocker to help carry on the Badgers’ prowess in the run game, but he has the ability to be a threat through the air as well.

Next. Predicting Wisconsin's 2019 schedule. dark

Wisconsin should be getting a prospect with a very high floor here.  However, given his tools and the program’s track record of tight end development, Large has the upside to become one of the Big Ten’s best at his position in my opinion.