Wisconsin vs. Illinois State: Recruiting visitor list
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With the Wisconsin Badgers football team hosting Illinois State on Saturday night, the football and men's basketball recruiting departments are using the night game atmosphere to their advantage in recruiting.
Several top targets for both programs have publicly announced that they will be in attendance.
Here is a running thread of the players who will be on campus for the big game.
Basketball
2024 PG Daniel Freitag
One of the top prospects in attendance, Thomas Jefferson High School (Minn.) standout Daniel Freitag will have the chance to speak with the football and basketball staff during his visit. According to Travis Graf of the Rivals Network, Freitag was at Minnesota on Friday for a visit and will be in Madison for the Illinois State game. He is one of the best overall athletes in the state of Minnesota in the 2024 class and has been a frequent visitor for Wisconsin the past couple of years. He holds an offer from Greg Gard at this time.
2024 PF Jackson McAndrew
While on a visit, the Wisconsin Badgers offered Minnesota native Jackson McAndrew. The offer is the first high-major offer for McAndrew, who is a rising prospect on the recruiting trail.
Football
2023 QB Ryan Browne
One of the more intriguing names to watch this weekend is 2023 quarterback Ryan Browne. The Badgers are still looking for a quarterback this cycle and Browne is a potential offer candidate. He was recently identified as a sleeper to watch by Sports Illustrated, and Wisconsin is high on what he could bring to the position. He threw for over 350 yards and had four total touchdowns in his latest game this season.
2024 RB Corey Smith
I was able to confirm with four-star running back Corey Smith of Catholic Memorial High School in Waukesha (Wis.) that he will be in attendance. One of the highest-rated recruits in the state for the 2024 class, Smith is a huge priority for the Badgers on the recruiting trail.
2024 TE Carter Nelson
The Badgers extended an offer to Nebraska tight end Carter Nelson before the game on Saturday while he was on campus. The 6-foot-5 tight end is a four-star prospect in the 2024 class and is one of the better tight ends in the Midwest for his grade.
2024 LB Sam Pilof
Another one of Wisconsin's best 2024 prospects from inside the state was on hand Saturday as Middleton High School linebacker Sam Pilof was in attendance. A highly-regarded three-star prospect with an offer from the Badgers, he is one of the most coveted players in the class.
2024 DE Eddie Tuerk
Four-star defensive end Eddie Tuerk of Illinois will also be on campus for the Badgers. Already holding an offer from the Badgers, Tuerk is one of only four defensive linemen to hold an offer at this time and is a top prospect for Wisconsin in the 2024 class.
2024 RB Titus Cram
Titus Cram is one of the best players in Iowa for his grade and is one of Wisconsin's top running back targets in the 2024 class. He has been a frequent visitor to both Iowa and Wisconsin, and also holds offers from Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Minnesota, Missouri, and Nebraska. Cram is currently a consensus three-star prospect.
2024 TE Aidan Steinfeldt
One player that could walk away with an offer this weekend is 2024 tight end Aidan Steinfeldt. Making the trip from Indiana, he has been in contact with Wisconsin for a while now and his father is originally from Wisconsin despite currently being a professor at Indiana. Steinfeldt is ranked as a three-star prospect with Power-5 offers from Indiana and Minnesota so far.
Class 2023 Commits
- Cornerback Jace Arnold (per his Instagram)
- Defensive lineman Roderick Pierce
2023 LB Ethan Doucette
A potential walk-on candidate from Kimberly High School in Wisconsin, per his Twitter.
2023 ATH Jackson Flottmeyer
Flottmeyer plays quarterback for Aquinas High School in La Crosse (Wis.). He tweeted that he is in attendance, and he represents another possible walk-on target for the Badgers
2023 TE Ryder Kurtz
Connecticut tight end Ryder Kurtz will make the trip to Wisconsin this weekend. Kurtz is unranked right now but has offers from Cornell, Georgetown, and UMass. He tweeted out his visit intentions.
2024 OLB Ben Alvarez
Holding one offer at this time from Central Michigan, linebacker Ben Alvarez will be in Madison on Saturday, according to his Twitter.
2025 ATH Jovan Clark
Another possible offer candidate, Chicago athlete Jovan Clark will be on campus this weekend he tweeted out. Only a sophomore in high school, Clark has early P5 offers from Boston College, Maryland, and Syracuse.
2025 OL Liam Vaughan
The younger brother of freshman inside linebacker Aidan Vaughan, offensive lineman Liam Vaughan will be on campus this weekend for the opener. He took to Twitter to announce his visit.
2025 DB Andre Lovett
Athlete Andre Lovett is another player that could earn an offer this weekend. He holds an offer from Tennessee and was previously at Illinois last weekend. He tweeted out his intentions to visit earlier this week.
All Badgers will continue to add additional names as they pop up.
Related links:
- Impact of the new 12-team College Football Playoff for Wisconsin
- Wisconsin contacts some top 2024 prospects
- Three questions ahead of Wisconsin versus Illinois State
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