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Ex-Wisconsin RB, now a high school coach, defends Badgers in-state recruiting

The Badgers' in-state recruiting under Luke Fickell has been heavily scrutinized, but a Wisconsin high school coach who used to play for UW thinks some of the criticism has been too much.
Lorin Cox|
November 12, 2005; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Brian Calhoun (2) carries the ball after catching a pass as Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back #26 Jovon Johnson looks on during the second quarter at Camp Randall Stadium.
November 12, 2005; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Brian Calhoun (2) carries the ball after catching a pass as Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back #26 Jovon Johnson looks on during the second quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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The Badgers' in-state recruiting under Luke Fickell has been heavily scrutinized, but a Wisconsin high school coach who used to play for UW thinks some of the criticism has been too much.

Former Badgers running back Brian Calhoun, a second-team All-American in 2005, is now the head coach at Oak Creek High School south of Milwaukee.

He was interviewed by ESPN Madison about the state of the program under Fickell, and Calhoun was willing to give them more grace for recruiting in-state athletes than other critics.

"I will say, not every single top prospect may be a right fit for you. Maybe a kid is more about self than program. Maybe a kid has some baggage that maybe doesn't fit into your culture," Calhoun said. "So I'm not going to knock them that much on that. Yes, the top kids need to be recruited heavily here, but you've got to go where it's a fit."

He acknowledged multiple times that the Badgers need to be more intentional about recruiting the best athletes in the state.

But just because a player plays at a Wisconsin high school doesn't mean he is the right fit for UW.

Fickell and his staff only offered two of the five highest-rated recruits in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports. Both of them were offensive linemen.

The Badgers only offered a handful of in-state athletes overall this cycle, though they have shown more interest in Wisconsin players in the 2027 class.

Related: Luke Fickell recruiting more in-state talent for Wisconsin Badgers 2027 class than previous years

Calhoun knows that it becomes harder for the program to sell players on coming to Wisconsin when the team has struggled on the field.

"If you look at the last three or four years, you don't feel that confident because you haven't seen the on-field success," Calhoun told ESPN Madison. "That's the gray area that we're in. We've got to fight like hell to really get out of that area and convince kids that Wisconsin is the place to be."

More financial resources should help with that effort, but the heat is on Fickell to get this program back on the right track.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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