Wisconsin's Newest LB Commit Has One Stat You Don't Expect From a Linebacker

Blake Betton flipped from Penn State to Wisconsin, but his nine interceptions over the past three seasons might be the most interesting part of what the Badgers are getting.

Oct 24, 2026; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers students and fans rush the field at Camp Randall Stadium after the Badgers victory over the USC Trojans. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Wahl-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Wisconsin could've moved on from Blake Betton when he committed to Penn State back in April. The Badgers didn't, and now that decision looks pretty smart.

Betton was in Madison over the weekend for Wisconsin's 24-7 win over USC, and a day later, the Badgers flipped him from Penn State. That's a nice recruiting win for Luke Fickell and his staff, especially when you look at some of the other schools that wanted him.

But when I started digging into Betton a little more, the commitment itself wasn't what caught my attention.

It was the interceptions.

Nine interceptions from a future linebacker?

Betton is listed at 6-foot-3 and around 205 pounds, but linebacker hasn't always been his position. He's played safety and wide receiver at Shakopee High School in Minnesota, and that starts to explain some of the numbers on his 247Sports profile.

Betton had four interceptions as a sophomore and two more as a junior. He also had 175 tackles over those two seasons, so we're not just talking about a defensive back who happens to be getting moved closer to the line of scrimmage.

One game from his sophomore season really caught my attention. Shakopee was playing Maple Grove in the Class 6A state semifinals, and Betton intercepted two passes. He got the first late in the opening quarter and came up with another in the third, giving Shakopee the ball at the Maple Grove 20.

I like that because it gives some context to the interception numbers. These weren't all coming in games where Shakopee was up 30 points and Betton could sit back waiting for somebody to throw him the football. He was making those plays in a state semifinal.

Betton has added three more interceptions as a senior, giving him nine over the past three seasons.

That's nine picks from a future linebacker. I'm paying attention to that.

The position has changed so much that linebackers can't just spend the afternoon trying to get downhill and stop the run anymore. They're going to get put in space, they're going to have to cover and offenses are going to make them prove they can do it. Betton has already spent a lot of time doing exactly that.

The size is the part Wisconsin will have to figure out

Shakopee linebacker Blake Betton visits Ohio Stadium on the day of the Ohio State Buckeyes football game against UCLA on Nov. 15, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

At around 205 pounds, Betton obviously isn't showing up in Madison ready to spend every Saturday taking on 300-pound Big Ten linemen.

He's going to need to add some weight, but I don't think that's a huge concern right now. He's 6-foot-3, and I'd much rather start with a kid who can move the way Betton does and add some size than have to do it the other way around.

The interesting part will be seeing how much weight Wisconsin wants him to add. Get him somewhere around 220 without taking away the speed and movement that made him such a good safety, and now you might have something.

That's where the projection gets fun.

Wisconsin wouldn't let this one go

The other part of this recruitment I like is that Wisconsin didn't disappear when Betton picked Penn State.

He committed to the Nittany Lions in April, but Tuf Borland kept talking to him. Betton's father and high school coach, Ray Betton, told Rivals that Wisconsin "never stopped recruiting him." Eventually, the Badgers got another shot.

That brought Betton back to Madison over the weekend. I'm not going to say watching Wisconsin beat No. 16 USC 24-7 is why he flipped because recruiting decisions are a lot more complicated than that. But if you're Wisconsin and you're trying to convince a linebacker to come play in your defense, holding USC to 241 yards and minus-17 on the ground while he's in the building is pretty good timing.

A day later, Betton was a Badger.

And this wasn't Wisconsin flipping a kid nobody else wanted. Michigan, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Auburn and Missouri were among the schools that offered him, and Penn State had held his commitment for more than six months.

That's a pretty good recruiting battle to win.

I'm curious to see what Wisconsin eventually does with him. Maybe he grows into a more traditional linebacker. Maybe the Badgers keep some of that safety background in his game and move him around a little more.

Either way, the part I'd be careful not to change is what made Betton interesting in the first place. He's 6-foot-3, he can move and he keeps finding the football.

Add the size and see where it goes.