So, National Signing Day has come and gone and the Badgers sit at #22. Not horrible IMO.
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The did not land any 5 star guys. It would be nice if they landed one in the near future. Nine 4 star guys is more than I remember in the past. Could be wrong, but some of them were big time signings. I got myself overhyped last year and feel that coming on again. It will take a couple years to see how this plays out. Two of the big defensive signings are Ernest Willor and Xavier Lucas. If these guys are not day one starters they will at the very least contribute in their freshman years. Nine 4 stars doesn't seem like a lot, but they are highly rated players that I don't think we land in the past. Looking forward to seeing them play out.
Signing Day is going to have a big impact on the team. The young players they have coming to Wisconsin are going to make a big splash, some as early as year one. The fact that so many of them are graduating HS now, and enrolling for the spring semester puts them on campus, and on the field for spring practice, which could make all the difference in the world when it comes to them finding field time when the season starts. Even their conditioning will be highly improved, by working through the next 8 months to prepare their bodies.
If you look at the players they're bringing in, via the portal, and as freshman, you can see a blend of experience, combined with fresh young talent, as yet, untapped. The offensive line is getting some highly rated help, the TE room is vastly improved over last year, the QB competition is going to be awesome, and on the defensive line, we're going to have some high rev motors running and a couple of real anchors for the middle. All, early in their college careers. It's great when players get to play together, and build as a team.
Look at the help for the DBs. Experience coming in, and some size in coverage personnel. Also, some speed among them. People who can run with the speedy WRs on teams like Ohio State and USC. The linebacker corps is going to be awesome. Something that's always been a joy to watch in Madison. It's going to be really solid, and we got the pick of the litter out of Hawaii to add to it.
Let's hope Wohler comes back. He could be the field general on defense, and make the Badgers special on that side of the ball. I hope someone with deep pockets comes up with enough NIL money to make it happen. I think he'd like to play in Madison, but let's face it, he's at a point in his career where money is going to be something he needs, going forward. Please! Don't call him a mercenary because of it. It's what's being given to the top players in college ball. Playing for "the principle" of staying with a team is not a realistic option. Money talks.
Looking at the QB competition, it's going to be something out of this world. I have a hunch we might even see one or two guys who are in the QB room pulling up stakes and leaving, after spring ball. There are going to be 3 or 4 guys who really stand out, and one or two might not like the idea of being that far down on the list. We need to remember, we're bringing in a kid who knows the system, and has already had two amazing years of playing the position, and we're bringing in another Texas boy (Look at who's in the QB room, it's nearly all Texans), Mettauer, who I've watched play, and this kid is going to be an amazing find with the right coaching. It will probably take a red shirt year, and a second year, getting ready for battle, but as a RS sophomore he might be lights out best in the Big 10.
Anyhow, it's going to be an interesting year. We could end up with at least 9 wins, and possibly 11, if you count a bowl game.
When you look at this past year, and think that the Badgers didn't do so well, you need to consider that they did play well enough over the course of the year to earn a spot in a New Years 6 bowl game, and that shows fans believe in them already, and so did the people picking the bowl spots. They're going against a pretty darned good LSU team, and even though they are underdogs, don't count them out. They might surprise a lot of people.
