Wisconsin Badgers spring recruiting update: 2023 linebackers
With spring football in full swing and the coaching staff welcoming a plethora of 2023 and 2024 recruits to campus, the Wisconsin Badgers and their recruiting efforts are ramping up ahead of summer official visits.
With that in mind, over the next two weeks, we will look at three players to watch at each position group in the 2023 recruiting class as the Badgers look to close on some of their top targets under the direction of recruiting coordinator Mickey Turner.
New offers are bound to come out, and recruitments seem to change at the drop of a hat, but let's look at three linebackers to know for the 2023 class at this time.
Note that with the Badgers already having Tyler Jansey committed as an inside linebacker, this list is a combined view of both inside and outside linebacker targets on Wisconsin's recruiting board.
Previous 2023 position updates:
Tackett Curtis
There might not be a more high-profiled recruit that the Badgers have a realistic shot with in the 2023 recruiting class than Tackett Curtis.
Outside linebacker's coach Bobby April has been all over the Louisiana native, and Curtis has reciprocated interest by taking multiple unofficial visits to Madison.
With scholarship offers to nearly every major college program in the country, Curtis has three official visits scheduled at this time. He will kick off the month of June with an official visit to Wisconsin, then proceed to visit USC and Ohio State.
The Badgers are one of the top options for the top-100 prospect, and considering Wisconsin's recent history with recruiting outside linebackers, they have a legit shot at winning this recruitment.
Curtis is a phenomenal athlete that fits exactly how the Badgers tend to use their stand-up outside linebackers. At 6-foot-2 and around 215 pounds, Curtis possesses elite closing speed and is a punishing hitter. While he primarily plays safety for his high school team, his quickness and ability to get downhill are incredibly impressive and translate nicely to a 3-4 linebacker in Wisconsin's system.
You can check out his junior highlights here. He might be one of the most violent hitting players in the 2023 recruiting class.
Phil Picciotti
Linebacker Phil Picciotti of Pennridge, Pennsylvania, is one of the top visitors on campus today for spring practice.
The four-star linebacker stands 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, with offers from Auburn, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Pitt, Purdue, Rutgers, South Carolina, USC, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
While most teams are recruiting him to play middle linebacker, Picciotti has the size and athleticism to potentially play either inside or outside linebacker with Wisconsin. On film, he displays a tenacity to attack the offensive player with the ball, and as a result, Picciotti tallied a team-high 144 tackles as a junior.
Penn State is the perceived favorite at this time, but the Badgers are looking to make a move on Thursday to hopefully secure an official visit down the line from the talented four-star playmaker.
Trevor Carter
Trevor Carter is a wildcard recruit for Wisconsin.
Carter has actually been committed to Cincinnati dating back to last November, but that has not stopped other schools from remaining in contact or offering here recently.
A four-star linebacker prospect out of Ironton, Ohio, Carter is a longshot to wind up with the Badgers, but Wisconsin does have some factors working in their favor.
The Badgers recently offered Carter's teammate, running back Jaquez Keyes, who is extremely high on Wisconsin after recently visiting. Additionally, the Badgers have been in contact with Carter for well over a year and offered the 6-foot-3 linebacker back in April of 2021.
Keyes is looking to take an official visit to Madison sometime this summer, and if the Badgers can also manage to convince Carter to take a visit, lookout.
With Carter currently committed elsewhere, it is unlikely he changes his mind, but Wisconsin and many other programs have not given up their pursuit of him.
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