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High-level recruits take in Wisconsin Badgers football spring practice

Wisconsin began spring practices on Thursday, and the Badgers hosted multiple targeted recruits over the weekend
Benjamin Worgull|
Green Bay Notre Dame's Kingston Allen (7) stiff-arms Slinger High School's Ethan Fisher (23) during a WIAA Division 2 second round playoff game on Friday, October 31, 2025, at Notre Dame Academy in Green Bay, Wis. Notre Dame won the game, 56-42.
Green Bay Notre Dame's Kingston Allen (7) stiff-arms Slinger High School's Ethan Fisher (23) during a WIAA Division 2 second round playoff game on Friday, October 31, 2025, at Notre Dame Academy in Green Bay, Wis. Notre Dame won the game, 56-42. | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

The University of Wisconsin football program officially began spring practice on Thursday, the first of 15 opportunities for the Badgers' remade roster to start preparing for a pivotal fall schedule.

Saturday was an even bigger day when Luke Fickell and his staff hosted multiple prospects who wanted to get a closer look at what the program has to offer.

Here's a recap of some of the bigger names who have visited Wisconsin.

Kingston Allen

Wisconsin has four in-state prospects committed to its 2027 class, and odds are high that the Green Bay running back will join the Badgers' class at some point. Allen ran for 3,436 yards and averaged 9.6 yards per carry on his 357 carries last season. His 57 rushing touchdowns set a new WIAA single-season record. Rated the No.1 prospect in the state, the No.6 tailback in the country, and the No.139 overall prospect in the country by 247sports, Allen holds a power-conference offer from Northwestern and plans to return to Wisconsin for an official visit in June.

Jack Baker

Wisconsin offered the Tom's Rivers (NJ) North linebacker in January and is competing with over 20 other schools for his commitment, including Boston College, Duke, Michigan State, Minnesota, and Pittsburgh.

Blake Betton

Betton is rated a top-50 linebacker in the country by 247sports, and Wisconsin is battling Penn State for the Shakopee (MN) High linebacker. Betton is a priority for linebackers coach Tuf Borland due to the linebacker’s talent and proximity, and current UW linebackers and incoming commits made Betton feel like that while he was on campus, too.

"They just reiterated all the time like I'm their number one there," Betton told 247sports. "I'm even starting to hear from some of their commits, like, Isaac Miller and Korz Loken, just like telling me to come on, like they made a little graphic, like the missing piece or the missing puzzles, so yeah, but it's a lot of good and positive stuff, which I'm really appreciative for."

Betton has several more spring visits planned throughout the Midwest. His only official visit scheduled so far is to Penn State.

Blaise Burwell

An Oregon legacy, Burwell's trip to Madison is his only known Midwest trip between unofficials to Arizona, Oregon State, UCLA, and UNLV, and an official visit to Washington State.

According to Rivals recruiting analyst Greg Biggins, Burwell is "a fluid mover with an athletic 6-foot-1 frame and shows short area quickness and long speed. He’s a reactionary athlete who can easily change direction, plays the run, and offers value in the return game as well. He checks off the multi-sport box we love to see as well and is one of the area’s top track athletes and plans to double sport in college."

Drake Coellner

The Indiana safety picked up an offer from Wisconsin two weeks ago and was a focus of new safeties coach Jack Cooper, who was promoted to the role in January.  He already has an impressive list of offers, which includes Duke, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Ole Miss, and Oregon.

Tyler Frederick

Wisconsin and defensive line coach E.J. Whitlow extended an offer to the Washington DC defensive lineman during his first campus visit. Frederick has good size at 6-4 and 280 pounds, but the Badgers are his first power-four conference offer.

"Coach Whitlow explained the environment he fosters in his d-line room, which consists of great effort and attitude, and I was honored when he told me that my style of play fits well in his system," Frederick told 247sports. "The defense has extremely high standards, on and off the field, which was amazing to witness. The structure and attention to detail behind the practices and meetings I saw today stood out significantly; everyone was extremely locked in and focused on perfection."

Reed Gerkin

An Ohio offensive lineman who has already scheduled his Wisconsin official visit (June 4), Gerkin made a second trip to campus over the weekend and spent a couple of days with his dad in town with new offensive line coach Eric Mateos.

Gerkin has over a dozen power-conference offers and plans to see at least seven schools over the next two weeks. In addition to Wisconsin, Gerkin has official visits scheduled N.C. State (May 8), Virginia Tech (May 29), and Kentucky (June 19).

Darin Graham

Wisconsin offered the Chicago-area edge rusher in January and made his first trip to campus. He has not set his official visits from a growing offer list that includes Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Ole Miss, but gave a favorable review of outside linebacker coach Matt Mitchell and Wisconsin.

“I thought the practice was very high energy and intense,” he told On3. “I love that, and the campus was beautiful. I loved that everything was sort of connected, and the whole college town itself just felt great.”

Hunter and Reece Mallinger

The offensive line twins from Sussex (Wis.) Hamilton is likely a package deal, and Wisconsin put itself in position to land the pair when the staff offered Reece back in January (Hunter was previously offered by the staff).

Former UW/current Indiana offensive line coach Bob Bostad recently extended Reece an offer, giving the brothers an offer from the reigning national champions. Kansas, Minnesota, North Carolina, UCLA, and Northwestern are other options for both players.

The only official visit the Mallingers have announced is a June trip to Madison.

Carter Napier

Iowa and Pittsburgh are the only power-conference offers for the Ohio defensive lineman, who finished his junior season with 52 tackles (5 TFL) and four sacks. Napier did not receive an offer while on campus, but he posted that the Badgers are going to visit him during the spring evaluation period.

Reilly Newman

One of the possible reasons Napier didn't receive an offer is that the Badgers are thinking so highly of Frederick and Newman, as the latter is being aggressively recruited by Whitlow and has already scheduled an official visit to Madison.

Saturday was Newman's first visit to Madison. His scholarships include Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, and Vanderbilt. Ranked the No.55 defensive lineman in the country by Rivals, Newman has unofficial visits set with Cincinnati, Iowa, and Vanderbilt, as well as an official with the Hawkeyes in June.

“My interest (in Wisconsin) is definitely very high,” he told On3. “I think they’re at the top of my list. I think it’s them and a couple of others. Going there and seeing it, it definitely confirmed where they’re at.”

Camden Noe

Wisconsin joined Iowa and Minnesota as Big Ten schools to extend an offer to the 2028 prospect out of Portage, Michigan. Labeled as an athlete by 247sports, Noe was an all-state selection at running back as a sophomore, rushing for 1,803 yards and 21 touchdowns, and also played linebacker. He projects on the defensive side of the ball in college.

Cooper Ohnmacht

One of the top prospects in Kansas for the 2027 cycle, Ohnmacht has offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Penn State, and Vanderbilt. The 6-0, 185-pound four-star prospect is being recruited as a receiver or a safety and has yet to schedule any official visits.

“I really like how good they are with developing high-caliber defensive players coming from Coach Fick, and also really like Coach Cooper,” he told On3. “I feel like I could easily spend lots of time with him, and he could develop me to where I want to be. Love the campus and everything about the school, especially their top-tier academics, which makes visiting a no-brainer and easily a top school.”

Cole Reiter

The four-star in-state offensive tackle continues to explore all of his options with an offer list that has at least 17 power-conference offers. He recently visited Penn State, just received an offer from Michigan, and has several more schools recruiting him that have yet to offer. He still plans to commit this spring.

Tommy Riordan

Wisconsin knows it's fighting an uphill battle against Iowa with Riordan, whose older brother is a freshman offensive lineman with the Hawkeyes. However, Tommy has visited Wisconsin multiple times and will come back to Madison for an official visit at the end of May. He is scheduled to go on an official in Iowa City the following week.

Anitoni Tahi

One of a handful of prospects from outside the Midwest, the Chandler (AZ) Basha defensive lineman made his first visit to Madison and will return in the summer for an official visit. Whitlow offered the three-star prospect in February, which joins a list of schools that include Iowa State, Kansas State, and Minnesota that he'll go to on officials.

“I’d put them at my top,” he told On3. “They’re in my top list, for sure. I fit in that defensive line. The way coach Whitlow coaches that group, I could be a part of that.”

Evan Via

Recruited by cornerback coach Robert Steeples when he was coaching at Iowa State, Via made his second visit to Wisconsin before his track season begins at St. Louis LaDue Horton Watkins. The three-star cornerback has over a dozen offers but has yet to announce which schools he's taking official visits to.

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Benjamin Worgull
BENJAMIN WORGULL

Benjamin Worgull has covered Wisconsin men's basketball since 2004, having previously written for Rivals, USA Today, 247sports, Fox Sports, the Associated Press, the Janesville Gazette, and the Wisconsin State Journal.

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