Wisconsin football lands a commitment from 2023 DE Will McDonald
Recruiting news had slowed down a bit for the Wisconsin Badgers recently.
That all changed on Wednesday morning though, as the Badgers secured a verbal commitment from three-star defensive end Will McDonald.
The news of McDonald's commitment comes just one week after earning a preferred walk-on opportunity at Wisconsin.
From Hudson (Wis.), McDonald will join his older brother Cade McDonald, a redshirt sophomore defensive end on the current Wisconsin roster. The two will reunite in Madison, and the move represents a "super exciting" opportunity for the brothers. Will told All Badgers last week that "it's something that my brother and I have been talking about since we were kids."
McDonald has been a frequent visitor to Madison over the past few years, most recently for one of the UW's summer camps and in April for spring practice. During those trips, he had the chance to speak with Wisconsin assistant coach Ross Kolodziej, and McDonald is very familiar with the program given his brother's involvement on the team.
The 6-foot-4 defensive end prospect is a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and Rivals, and McDonald is considered the No. 2 prospect in the state by 247 Sports.
A stellar lacrosse player, McDonald brings plus athleticism to the position, and he is far from your traditional walk-on. He actually turned down several scholarship opportunities in favor of staying inside the state, including offers from Akron, Army, Illinois State, Iowa State, Kansas, Kent State, North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, and South Dakota.
McDonald is the second-known walk-on commitment for the Badgers in the 2023 class, joining long-snapper Keane Bessert.
Overall, Wisconsin now has 15 total commitments in the cycle, 13 of which are on scholarship. You can check out the entire list of 2023 commits and McDonald's junior highlights below.
Full-scholarship
- Linebacker Tyler Jansey
- Offensive lineman James Durand
- Safety Justin Taylor
- Running back Jaquez Keyes
- Defensive lineman Roderick Pierce
- Running back Nate White
- Outside linebacker Jordan Mayer
- Wide receiver Collin Dixon
- Cornerback A.J. Tisdell
- Wide receiver Trech Kekahuna
- Cornerback Jace Arnold
- Nose tackle Jamel Howard
- Offensive lineman Christopher Terek
Walk-on
- Long-snapper Keane Bessert
- Defensive end Will McDonald
Related links:
- Six current or former walk-ons who should help the Badgers this year
- Big Ten Media Days: News and notes related to the Wisconsin Badgers
- Wisconsin football fall camp preview for the offensive tackles
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