Wisconsin's recruiting over the years has had some real big recruiting wins and some frustrating losses. There are three that come to mind when we consider big misses in the history of recruiting for Wisconsin. There may be others that we missed, but these were the first three to jump off the tip of the brain. Each has its own story attached to the recruit.
1. Billy Schrauth - Notre Dame
The state of Wisconsin produces top offensive linemen year after year. The Badger football program is built on the back of in-state big boys dominating the trenches. Schrauth was another great example, a 4-star lineman from Fond du Lac. At 6'3 and 310 pounds, he would fit the Wisconsin line perfectly, and he had narrowed his list to Notre Dame and Wisconsin.
The Irish had a bunch of early steam in his recruitment, but down the stretch, the Badgers under coach Paul Chryst gained momentum, and Badgers fans were pretty confident he would be coming to Madison. He ultimately spurned the Badgers and went to the Irish, becoming a team captain, being named a finalist for awards, and becoming an excellent interior lineman for Notre Dame.
2. Carson Hinzman - Ohio State
In the same vein, Hinzman was also a 4-star in-state offensive lineman recruit. His recruitment also came down to two schools: Wisconsin and Ohio State. He even struggled to decide up to signing day and had to delay his decision. He ultimately would reject the Badgers and Paul Chryst for the Buckeyes.
He became a starter for the Buckeyes and was a major part of their offensive line identity over the last few seasons and a major reason why Ohio State has done what Ohio State has done. In 2025, he was a First-team All-American and Third Team All-Big Ten. He returns for his final season this year and looks to help the Buckeyes get back into the College Football Playoff.
3. A.J. Dillon - Boston College
Dillon is a wild story and one that will make a Wisconsin fan roll their eyes. The Badgers recruited him hard and wanted him to be the next great running back for Wisconsin. His rise to Green Bay Packer running back gave his Wisconsin recruiting a bit more intrigue and added a layer that Badger fans had never heard.
Dillon spoke a few years ago about his time as a high schooler on his visit to Madison, and he called it the "most boring visit ever." He even said that later, Wisconsin would send him a letter saying, "We are sorry that you didn't enjoy your visit. You would be our one and only running back and No. 1 priority...Sorry again for the visit."
The 4-star running back would eventually commit to Michigan and flip to Boston College, and Wisconsin fell out of the race, but because of the extra drama listed above, he becomes one of the misses that make the list. Imagine if Paul Chryst had landed Dillon.
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