The University of Wisconsin football staff took advantage of a pleasant April weekend as they hosted numerous recruits.
Saturday's practice was held outside on the field north of Camp Randall Stadium as high temperatures were expected around 70 degrees. The Badgers' recruiting staff has made the most of weekends with the larger number of high school players able to travel to Madison compared to weekday practices.
A few 2025 recruits have also announced new offers from Wisconsin in the past few days, which included a couple who were seen at practices last week.
Key 2025 recruits visited Wisconsin on Saturday
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The Badgers currently do not have a defensive line commit for its 2025 class after Middleton’s Torin Pettaway flipped to Minnesota late last month. Wisconsin’s recruiting staff has already hosted Cincinnati St. Xavier lineman Gordy Sulfsted, and it had an opportunity to make a big impression on two other recruits.
Kade Pietrzak visited Wisconsin for its Feb. 3 junior day event, and he returned to Madison and observed new assistant E.J. Whitlow for part of Saturday’s practice alongside Wisconsin director of recruiting Pat Lambert. On3 rates the North Dakota native as a four-star recruit and the No. 167 player in the country. His announced offers include Auburn, Duke, Florida State, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan State, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Southern Cal, Stanford, Texas A&M and Wisconsin, among others.
Chicago Marist defensive lineman Brad Fitzgibbon returned to Madison after he previously attended a junior day event. He tweeted an offer from Wisconsin on Jan. 26, but he has also announced scholarship opportunities from Arizona State, Iowa State, Kansas State, Michigan State, Vanderbilt and others. He’s already announced official visits to Arizona State (on the weekend of April 26-28), Michigan State (May 31 to June 2) and Kansas (June 7-9).
Wisconsin has recruited Indiana hard during the 2025 recruiting cycle. The Badgers extended an offer to Indianapolis Lawrence North wide receiver Davion Chandler, who was on campus last weekend, and he quickly set up a return to Madison for an official visit in June.Â
Indianapolis Lawrence Central tight end Nizyi Davis was at Saturday’s practice. He is listed at 6 foot 6 and 215 pounds on Hudl and the three-star recruit has announced offers from Central Florida, Cincinnati, Duke, Illinois, Louisville, Kansas, Purdue, Vanderbilt, West Virginia and Wisconsin, among others.
Brenden Anes, a three-star recruit and 2025 commit, returned to Madison for the second time this year. The projected outside linebacker from Tennessee previously visited during Wisconsin’s Jan. 13 junior day, and he announced his commitment nine days later.Â
Two other 2025 commits, Wautoma offensive lineman Michael Roeske (Tuesday)Â and inside linebacker Cooper Catalano (Thursday), watched practices earlier this week.
Catalano is the lone inside linebacker commit for the 2025 class at the moment, while Anes and Samurl Lateju are projected outside linebackers for Wisconsin’s defense. Another inside linebacker, Elliott Schaper (Austin Westlake) took in practice as part of his multi-day unofficial visit, and he announced an offer from the Badgers on Friday.Â
Schaper’s Instagram page shows Power Four offers from Arizona State, California and Duke. He’s announced official visits to Duke (May 31-June 2) and California (June 6-9) already, and it will be worth watching if or when a return trip to Madison is booked.
Maryland is another state where Wisconsin’s ramped up recruiting efforts in the last two classes, and defensive back Corey Costner watched on the sidelines Saturday. On3 rates Costner, who plays for Baltimore Perry Hall, the highest as a four-star recruit and No. 206 player in the 2025 class. He’s announced Power Four offers from Indiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Penn State, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin, among others.
Wisconsin hosted one offensive lineman from Paw Paw, Michigan on Thursday, three-star recruit Darrin Strey, who will return for an official visit the weekend of June 14-16 after he announced an offer from the Badgers. Another lineman from that state, Jim Harris Jr. (Muskegon), was at Saturday’s practice. Harris is a three-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals whose most notable announced offers come from Cincinnati, Indiana, Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt and West Virginia.
More 2026 names to watch for, including a current SEC commit
Offensive lineman Bear McWhorter has been verbally committed to Arkansas since August 2023, which is a very early commitment from a 2026 recruit, but he watched assistant AJ Blazek and his position group during his unofficial visit to Wisconsin this weekend. The Georgia native has picked up announced offers from Alabama, Miami, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Wisconsin, among others.
Landon Bland, a projected outside linebacker from Missouri, announced his first Division I offer from Wisconsin last month, which was followed by Nebraska, Kansas and Kansas State.
Wisconsin signed four-star outside linebacker Thomas Heiberger from Sioux Falls Jefferson as part of its 2024 class, and the freshman is already getting reps on the field. His former teammate, 2026 recruit Edward Whiting, was on campus Saturday.