Wisconsin lands 2023 long-snapper Keane Bessert
In this story:
The Wisconsin Badgers had gone a couple of weeks without a football commitment in the 2023 recruiting class.
That all changed on Friday, as the Badgers added a walk-on commitment from long-snapper Keane Bessert.
Bessert took to social media to make his announcement.
A 4.5-star recruit according to Rubio Long Snapping, Bessert earned a walk-on opportunity after camping with Wisconsin back in June, where he was crowned the top long-snapper in attendance based on his performance.
Bessert attends Fruita Monument High School in Fruita, Colorado, but he also came to campus for a spring practice in April. He was receiving interest from Kansas State, Oklahoma, and Oregon, with Iowa State also offering him a walk-on opportunity.
At 6-foot-1 and around 220 pounds, Bessert has good size for a long-snapper, and he earned the top honors at both Kansas State and Oregon's football camps this summer. As of now, Bessert is ranked as the No. 6 prospect in the country for all long-snappers.
After not taking a long-snapper in the 2022 class, it makes sense for the Badgers to add a long-snapper in 2023. The fact that Wisconsin was able to earn his commitment as a walk-on is notable after just last season Duncan McKinley's injury forced the team to add Zach Zei quickly before fall camp.
This past spring the Badgers had three long-snappers on the roster, with Peter Bowden the returning starter. Bowden is entering his junior year, so there will be available playing time in the near future at the position.
Bessert was one of four players to earn walk-on opportunities after the summer camp cycle, and he is the first walk-on commitment in the class at this time.
Tight end Mack O'Halloran, Zack Mlsna, and Evan Van Dyn Hoven are the only other known walk-on offers at this time.
With Bessert's commitment, the Badgers are now up to commits in the 2023 recruiting class, with the full list of current commits shown 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
You can see his full junior highlights below.
Related links:
- How Andy Vujnovich became one of the top punters in the country
- Where Wisconsin stands in the 2023 recruiting rankings
- What's next for the Badgers at quarterback in the 2023 class
You can keep up to date on everything at All Badgers by liking + following our Facebook page and Twitter account:
Facebook - @AllBadgersSI
Twitter - @SI_AllBadgers
You can also follow Site Publisher Matt Belz at @savedbythebelz on Twitter.