Ohio State WR commits to Wisconsin and Luke Fickell in big move for the position

With the recent news that Will Pauling and CJ Williams were entering the portal, it was clear that the Wisconsin football team had to prioritize bringing in some help at wide receiver. Fortunately, some good news arrived on Wednesday for head coach Luke Fickell.

That's because breaking news just dropped from Hayes Fawcett that former Ohio State wideout Jayden Ballard has committed to Wisconsin. The speedster took a recent official visit to UW and saw everything he needed to see to shut down his recruitment and decide Madison will be his next stop:

Ohio State WR Jayden Ballard has committed to the Wisconsin Badgers

Ballard signed with the Buckeyes as a member of the 2021 class, spending the last four years in Columbus. Things didn't quite work out for him with OSU, as Ballard finished with 11 career receptions with Ohio State for 177 yards and one touchdown.

This past campaign, Ballard, a 6-2, 190-pounder, posted only two receptions for 18 yards. He was never able to reach his full potential with Ohio State, but the Buckeyes have been loaded with elite talent in recent years. A change of scenery could be just what Ballard needs to make a big-time impact.

Coming out of high school, he was considered one of the top playmakers in the country. Ballard was ranked four stars and the No. 4 wideout in the country per 247Sports. He signed with Ohio State over additional offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Maryland and others.

With the rough news that Pauling and Williams won't be back next fall, the door is open for guys like Ballard to help transform the offense. With quarterbacks Danny O'Neil and Billy Edwards Jr. on the way too, there's going to be a new look for the O as a whole, which is no question a good thing.