Wisconsin Badgers Miss Out on Talented 2025 DL Drayden Pavey

On Tuesday, high school defensive lineman Drayden Pavey committed to the Purdue Boilermakers over Wisconsin and Indiana. Pavey is the Boilermakers’ first interior defensive lineman recruit for 2025 under head coach Ryan Walters. Pavey's commitment leaves the Wisconsin Badgers defensive line recruiting class at two recruits coming in next season.

Pavey camped at West Lafayette last year and had a great relationships with head coach Walters, defensive analyst Preston Gordon, defensive line coach Brick Haley, and safeties coach Grant O’Brien.

"Coach Preston believed in me from the time I camped at Purdue and he pointed me out to Coach Brick [Haley] and it's been great ever since. They feel like family. They treat me like a person and not a recruit, even though I am, but that's not how they look at me. Coach OB is my guy and he went all out on my official visit showing my family love and hospitality."

- Donovan Pavey, upon committing to Purdue

Last month, Drayden Pavey took three official visits to Purdue, Wisconsin, and Indiana. At Wisconsin, he met with defensive-line coach E.J. Whitlow. One of the keys to hopefully landing Pavey was building a relationship, and there appeared to be some momentum, according to Seamus Rohrer of BadgerBlitz.

"Our relationship is built through honesty. He’s a real solid dude, he’s never gonna sit there and lie to you, and that’s one thing I like. He’s not pushing me to commit at this time, he’s not pushing me to get into it that deep yet, he’s taking it real slow, we’re building our relations."

- Drayden Pavey, after his visit to UW

While the Wisconsin coaching staff may be disappointed that Pavey will not be a Badger,  the Badgers still have two 2025 defensive linemen committed. The Badgers have three-star DL Torrin Pettway from Middleton, WI, who (thankfully) flipped from Minnesota to Wisconsin, and Wilnerson Telemaque from Opa Locka, FL, committed to Wisconsin.