SI All-American Watch List: 15 Wisconsin Badgers Football Commits, Five Potential UW Targets Named

Top 10 position rankings start this week; preseason SI99 out in August; check out the highlights and evaluations for Wisconsin Badgers football commits and potential targets.

Wisconsin's football program already boasts a strong class of 2021 prospects, and that includes Grafton, Wis., offensive linemen J.P. Benzschawel. The in-state standout, the 14 other Badgers commits and five potential targets in this recruiting cycle are candidates for the 2020 Sports Illustrated All-America team, which is comprised of high school senior football players.

The 6'7, 260-pound Benzschawel initially announced his decision to play at Wisconsin in February of 2019. The first commitment for UW's 2021 class, he follows in the footsteps of his older brothers -- former Badgers Beau and Luke -- along with his father and uncle in coming to Madison to play for the football program. His junior film shows a lineman who can keep his quarterback clean in the pocket while opening up holes for the running game -- often leaving defenders on the ground. 

Check out the full breakdown of current oral commitments and potential targets on the SI All-American watch list. 

Commitments

Offensive Commits

(in alphabetical order)

Running back Jackson Acker/6'1, 210 pounds/Verona (Wis.)

Offensive lineman J.P. Benzschawel/6'7, 265 pounds/Grafton (Wis.)

Running back Loyal Crawford/6'0, 190 pounds/Eau Claire (Wis.) Memorial 

Quarterback Deacon Hill/6'4, 220 pounds/Santa Barbara (Calif.) 

Offensive lineman Riley Mahlman/6'7, 270 pounds/Lakeville (Minn.) South 

Tight end Jack Pugh/6'5, 235 pounds/Hilliard (Ohio) Bradley 

Running back Antwan Roberts/6'1, 189 pounds/Hendersonville (Tenn.) Pope John Paul II 

Defensive Commits

(in alphabetical order)

Outside linebacker Ayo Adebogun/6'3, 205 pounds/Mequon (Wis.) Homestead 

Outside linebacker T.J. Bollers/6'3, 250 pounds/Tiffin (Ia.) Clear-Creek Amana 

Inside linebacker Jake Chaney/6'0, 210 pounds/Cape Coral (Fla.) Lehigh 

Cornerback Ricardo Hallman/6'0 183 pounds/Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) University School

Defensive lineman Mike Jarvis/6'5, 250 pounds/Medford (N.J.) Shawnee 

Outside linebacker Darryl Peterson/6'3, 235 pounds/Akron (Ohio) Archbishop Hoban 

Inside linebacker Bryan Sanborn/6'2, 210 pounds/Lake Zurich (Ill.) 

Safety Hunter Wohler/6'1, 180 pounds/Muskego (Wis.)

Potential Targets

Potential Offensive Targets

(sorted by alphabetical last name, not by interest from recruit or recruiting board of program)

Wide receiver Cameron Bonner/5'11, 173 pounds/Houston (Texas) St. Thomas 

Offensive tackle Nolan Rucci/6'7, 270 pounds/Lititz (Pa.) Warwick 

Potential Defensive Targets

(sorted by alphabetical last name, not by interest from recruit or recruiting board of program)

Outside linebacker Logan Fano/6'4, 220 pounds/Provo (Utah) Timpview 

Cornerback Robert "R.J." Regan/6'1, 186 pounds/Orange (Calif.) Lutheran 

Linebacker Yanni Karlaftis/6'3, 205 pounds/West Lafayette (Ind.) 

More than 1,000 student-athletes, representing every state in the country, are SI All-American candidates. Video highlights, scouting analyses and a breakdown of each player’s college verbal commitment and/or top college contenders can be found on their bio pages, broken down by state, at SIAllAmerican.com.

Over the coming weeks, SI will unveil its preseason top 10 for each of 14 position groups (kicking off with quarterbacks this week). SI will unveil its initial top 99 ranking, the SI99, on August 24.

The evaluation process will continue throughout the season “until the list of 1,000 contenders coalesces around just 25 young men who can say proudly they are the best of the best -- they are Sports Illustrated All-Americans,” said SI Director of Football Recruiting John Garcia, Jr.

The candidates will be narrowed to 250 in October and 99 in November, and will culminate with 25 first-team Sports Illustrated All-Americans saluted at SI’s annual Sportsperson of the Year banquet in New York in December. 

Ed. Note, July 31: Heights and weights taken from SI All-American evaluations.