Wisconsin football adds obvious commitment that shows Chris McIntosh's true feelings

No one believes more in this coaching staff and their ability to turn things around than Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh. That resilient faith in the midst of a terrible season has extended to his family, as his son, Ethan McIntosh, has become the first 2027 commitment for Luke Fickell and his coaching staff.

While it seems like a small deal in the sense of "athletic director's kid," and often those are walk-ons or low-level players getting a friend's and family's discount. Not so for Ethan. He's a 3-star offensive lineman with 10 offers, four of them in the Big Ten (Kansas and Iowa State), and others were also in pursuit.

Fans met this news with mixed reactions.

Ethan McIntosh is the first 2027 commitment for Luke Fickell and is the son of Chris McIntosh

Related: Curt Cignetti respects Luke Fickell, offering a ton of empathy for situation he is in

Wisconsin fans weren't sure how to feel about this news, as adding McIntosh to start the 2027 recruiting class is a big deal from a purely football standpoint. But currently, his Dad is still on the hot seat, at least in the fans' minds, if not in the chancellor's or board of regents' minds.

There is good news to this commitment, as it shows that Chris McIntosh truly does believe in the future here at Wisconsin football to tie his own son to it. He could have secretly encouraged him to choose Illinois, Nebraska, or another Big Ten offer, or even to go out of the conference to Kansas or Iowa State. Chris didn't do that.

This means his public actions are fully honest. He truly believes in Luke Fickell and believes he can succeed at Wisconsin. That's a big deal. However, the follow-up question and the skeptical fan question are, does he actually know what he's doing, or is he the problem all along?