Wisconsin Football Building Elite D-Line Class as Commit Earns Fourth Star

Defensive line coach EJ Whitlow has gone severely underappreciated for his impact at Wisconsin.

The Badgers' defensive line coach for the past two years and change has been nothing but a pro's pro, handling business both on the field and on the recruiting trail.

He helped orchestrate a remarkably quick turnaround for Wisconsin's ailing run defense last fall, recruiting a handful of stud linemen in the portal and then coaching them into a top-15 rushing defense in the country.

He's also been dynamite on the high school recruiting trail as of late, and the Badgers already have three defensive linemen pledged in the 2027 cycle: Connecticut native Will Zaccagnino, Arizona native Yahzeen Zion and Illinois native David Hill, the latter of whom just earned his fourth star on 247Sports as Wisconsin catapulted to the No. 13 class in the nation on their recruiting rankings.

Top 25 Team Recruiting Rankings 📈

The latest rankings after the updated 2027 player rankings update by 247Sports

Who is the biggest surprise? 👀 pic.twitter.com/Pqbv9c8S67
— 247Sports (@247Sports) June 10, 2026

Whitlow has had some solid hauls before. In 2026, even in the Badgers' smaller, 13-man class, he signed two defensive linemen in Djidjou Bah and Authur Scott. The year prior, he flipped Middleton native Torin Pettaway from Minnesota and dipped into Texas to land Xavier Ukponu.

Nevertheless, this 2027 haul looks like his best yet.

Oftentimes, defensive linemen take the longest to adjust to the college game; it's feasible that we may not see players such as Zaccagino, Zion and Hill play meaningful college snaps until the 2029 or 2030 season.

Regardless, you have to love what Whitlow is building in the trenches for the future.

Badgers' stacked 2027 D-Line recruiting haul

Wisconsin defensive line coach E.J. Whitlow. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Hill, who again just earned his fourth star on 247Sports, is ranked as the No. 225 player in the nation by the website, the No. 11 player in Illinois and the No. 28 player at his position.

He already has tremendous size at 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, and he boasts 19 offers including the likes of Nebraksa, Missouri and Illinois, among many others. Hill is also a wrestler, a trait head coach Luke Fickell loves in his defensive lineman. Pop on his tape, and you see a disruptive force along the interior.

The other pledges in this class are nothing to scoff at, either. Zion is a three-star on 247Sports but a four-star on On3/Rivals, and he lists a staggering 29 offers including teams like USC, Miami, Oregon, Texas and Georgia. Between Hill and Zion, that's two elite, nationally sought-after lineman.

Throw in Zaccagnino, who shouldn't be taken lightly either with a 6-foot-5 frame and a handful of Big Ten and SEC offers, and you've got some extremely high upside in this class.

Add us as a preferred source on Google