Luke Fickell was named the new head coach of the Wisconsin Football team following last season after the firing of Paul Chryst in October. Fickell has already brought excitement to the program that has yet to be seen in a long time without coaching a game.
Luke Fickell has brought excitement to Wisconsin Football recruiting
Many Wisconsin Football fans will remember Paul Chryst for his bland personality. Fickell has already found a more exciting way to approach recruiting than anything Chryst ever did during his time with the Badgers.
Any time a recruit is about to announce his commitment to the University, Fickell will take to Twitter to launch a tweet that fans have now recognized as the Luke Fickell bat signal to alert fans that a commitment is pending.
#OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/wMbNTlHT19
— Luke Fickell (@CoachFick) June 19, 2023
The bat signal is a neat touch to recruiting and has helped fans become more interested in future Badgers. I can personally attest to this, being someone that casually followed recruiting before Fickell arrived in Madison.
The transformation in the recruiting department under Fickell has been incredible. When Fickell arrived in Madison in late November of 2022, the team’s recruiting class for 2023 was ranked in the 80’s. Fickell pulled off some recruiting magic, and they finished 58th, per 247 Sports.
The transfer portal is where Fickell made the most significant impact, however. Wisconsin’s transfer class ranked 24th and boosted their overall class of 2023 ranking to 40th. Considering where Chryst and Jim Leonhard left the program when he took over, Fickell will gladly take that.
Fickell’s first whole recruiting class will be the 2024 class, where he has already made his mark. Wisconsin currently has a top 20 recruiting class for 2024, coming in at 19th. They’re ranked 19th despite not having 5-star recruits and fewer commitments than other schools in the top 20.
From a recruit’s perspective, perhaps the main factor in Wisconsin gaining interest from prospects recently is the arrival of the air raid offense. For years, Wisconsin has had a dull, pro-style run first offense. With new offensive coordinator Phil Longo joining Fickell’s staff, the offense has been modernized and made more attractive to the University’s recruiting targets.
Whether it’s the installation of more attractive schemes, Fickell being a good salesman, or a combination of the two, the Luke Fickell bat signal has made recruiting fun for fans and players. If his teams can replicate that on the field, it will only help Fickell’s recruiting classes long-term.
Stay tuned for news and analysis on Wisconsin Football, with college football season right around the corner and recruiting news flying in.