Wisconsin adds in-state athlete Nolan Vils as a preferred walk-on
With Early Signing Day just a day away, the Wisconsin Badgers continue to remain active with both scholarship and walk-on targets to add to their 2023 recruiting class.
On Monday, Luke Fickell and the staff added another preferred walk-on in the cycle, with in-state defensive lineman Nolan Vils committing to UW.
A former Augustana (DII) commit, Vils took to Twitter to announce his college decision, saying:
"I'd like to thank all of the coaches at Augustana for their interest in me and all they have done for me. With that being said, I have decided to de-commit from Augustana to continue my athletic and academic career at the University of Wisconsin."
At 6-foot-2 and around 265 pounds, Vilas is a versatile walk-on commit for the Badgers with the ability to play either side of the ball. He is expected to begin his career with Wisconsin as a defensive lineman at the next level, with nose tackle a potential fit for him in UW's odd-front defense.
Per his HUDL profile, Vilas runs a 4.94 40-yard dash and he recently squatted 610 pounds. An All-Region selection along the defensive line by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association, Vilas finished his senior season with 32 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and five sacks in eight games this season, according to Wissports.
From Sauk Praire High School in Wisconsin, Vilas is set to stay home and play for the Badgers next fall as a 2023 recruit. He is the third walk-on defensive lineman in the class, joining Will McDonald from Hudson (Wis.), and Manny Mullens out of Ohio.
Overall, Wisconsin now has eight known walk-ons committed in the 2023 class, with 12 scholarship players set to sign on Wednesday as part of Early Signing Day. Here is a current list of walk-ons committed to UW at this time:
- Outside linebacker Evan Van Dyn Hoven
- Defensive end Will McDonald
- Offensive lineman Zack Mlsna
- Long-snapper Keane Bessert
- Defensive lineman Manny Mullens
- Offensive lineman Peyton Lange
- Wide receiver Davion Thomas
- Defensive lineman Nolan Vils
Expect the Badgers to continue to add more players in the coming days after recently landing former four-star quarterback Nick Evers out of Oklahoma and four scholarship players last week.
You can watch the senior highlights for Vils below.
Related links:
- Wisconsin lands a commitment from linebacker Christian Alliegro
- Recruiting and transfer portal news for Wisconsin (12/16)
- Wisconsin brings in North Carolina offensive coordinator Phil Longo
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