All Badgers

Wisconsin Badgers 'high up on' list for 4-star, 2027 in-state defensive lineman

It was a busy weekend for Richie Flanigan in Madison. Read what the 2027 four-star lineman experienced during two very different days at Wisconsin.
Jake Kocorowski|
2027 in-state defensive lineman Richie Flanigan took an unofficial visit and participated in a Wisconsin football camp the weekend of June 14-15.
2027 in-state defensive lineman Richie Flanigan took an unofficial visit and participated in a Wisconsin football camp the weekend of June 14-15. | Courtesy of Jake Kocorowski

In this story:

Wisconsin Badgers

MADISON, Wis. – It was a busy weekend for Richie Flanigan in Madison.

The four-star recruit by 247Sports composite rankings from Green Bay Notre Dame Academy took another unofficial visit to the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday for its "Bucky's BBQ" event. But he also stuck around Sunday and participated in the program's third football camp of the summer.

"Coach (E.J.) Whitlow was inviting me, and I just took the opportunity to get better," Flanigan said.

What stood out the most to Flanigan during his weekend at Wisconsin was getting to know the coaching staff. He worked with Whitlow, Wisconsin's defensive line coach, during the camp and eventually was named one of its MVPs.

Flanigan went toe-to-toe with a couple of his 2027 in-state peers, twin offensive linemen Hunter and Reece Mallinger (Sussex Hamilton), during 1-on-1 drills. Flanigan also received some feedback from the Badgers assistant.

"Specifically with my run game, he told me to keep my hands inside, keep my feet going," he said. "And on the pass (rush), he really worked with me on getting my hips through and reducing my surface to get to the quarterback."

Flanigan got the opportunity to see firsthand how Whitlow coaches.

"He's intense," Flanigan said. "He yells. He's got a loud voice. He gets you going, so I like that a lot."

Saturday was less strenuous when taking part in the program's Bucky's BBQ event, which allowed him to see the city a little more.

"Talked with the coaches a little bit," Flanigan said. "They had us do a race around Madison for a scavenger hunt, and then we got back to the facility, and they had food trucks, and that was fun.

"So we got food, talked to the guys, played games. A lot of fun."

The recruit already has announced several Power Four offers, which includes Duke, Illinois, Michigan, Northwestern, Notre Dame and Wisconsin.

He's a Notre Dame legacy, and his older brother, James Flanigan, is a 2025 tight end who also was targeted by Luke Fickell's staff before committing to the Fighting Irish.

But Flanigan has also now been up to Wisconsin multiple times this year after visiting in April, according to a post on his Twitter page. He wants to commit potentially during or at the end of his junior season to help build a class of whichever program he chooses. Education and team culture will be two of the biggest factors in his decision.

"Wisconsin's high up on my list," Flanigan said. "They're a great school, great program, like the coaches a lot."

More Wisconsin Badgers News:

Published | Modified
Jake Kocorowski
JAKE KOCOROWSKI

Jake Kocorowski has covered the Wisconsin football program since the 2013 season for a few outlets, most recently at the Wisconsin State Journal/BadgerExtra. He wrote, directed and edited BadgerExtra’s “Rags to Roses” series about the 1993 Wisconsin football team that won second place in the 2023 APSE Division C Project category.

Share on XFollow jakekoco
Home/Recruiting