Wisconsin football: Badgers land 2023 quarterback Cole LaCrue

The Wisconsin Badgers add commitment No. 13 in the 2023 recruiting class in quarterback Cole LaCrue of Broomfield, Colorado.

A week after losing a commitment out of the Pac-12 footprint, the Wisconsin Badgers added a key piece to their 2023 recruiting class on Monday out of Colorado.

Quarterback Cole LaCrue announced his pledge to join the Badgers as part of the 2023 class on scholarship, representing Wisconsin's lone quarterback commit in the cycle.

committed. @BadgerFootball @bobby_engram @jimleonhard @CaseyRabach_61 @CoachTurnerUW @Evan_Flood @adamgorney @BoCoPreps @BroomfieldEagl1 @SixZeroAcademy pic.twitter.com/C77C3ndYFN

— cole joseph lacrue (@lacruecole18) November 8, 2022

A multi-sport athlete out of Broomfield (Colo.), LaCrue recently earned an offer from Wisconsin on November 1 but needed less than a week to know that he wanted to become a Badger.

LaCrue is considered the No. 77 quarter in his class and the No. 10 player in the state of Colorado by On3. A consensus three-star prospect, LaCrue is listed as 6-foot-2 and around 190 pounds.

His decision comes on the heels of taking an official visit to in-state Colorado over the weekend, however, LaCrue ultimately chose Wisconsin over additional offers from Central Michigan, Colorado, and Tulane.

A multi-year starter for Broomfield High School, LaCrue threw for 2,365 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior, while also adding 558 rushing yards and eight touchdowns as a runner. This year, as a senior, LaCrue has 1,854 passing yards and 21 touchdowns despite playing in two fewer games. He has increased his completion percentage to 64.6% with only two interceptions and added 627 yards with 13 touchdowns on the ground, per MaxPreps.

After missing out on a few quarterback targets in the spring and summer, Wisconsin thoroughly evaluated LaCrue and several other quarterbacks before deciding to offer the Colorado native.

LaCrue took an unofficial visit to Madison back in early September for the Washington State game and came away thoroughly impressed, saying, "I also love the city and the fans that come with it" in Madison. LaCrue also sees a strong fit at Wisconsin, noting that he is "a guy that thrives off of energy and passion, and if I have the stadium going crazy and being super supportive, it’s a place I can see myself succeeding at."

Broomfield High School quarterback Cole LaCrue celebrating a touchdown throw as a senior.  / Courtesy of Cole LaCrue

Going forward, LaCrue is expected to enroll early with the Badgers for spring practice and is hoping to schedule an official visit with the Badgers for December. Assuming he signs with Wisconsin next month during the early signing period, LaCrue will be one of four quarterbacks on the roster next semester, joining Graham Mertz, Myles Burkett, and Marshall Howe. 

As a prospect, LaCrue is a strong athlete with the ability to extend plays with his legs and the necessary arm talent to be a Power 5 quarterback. A dual-threat player, LaCrue possesses nice upside based on his athleticism. Here is what Sports Illustrated Director of Football Recruiting, John Garcia Jr., had to say about LaCrue earlier this fall:

"Among the quarterbacks still available, the 6'2" LaCrue may have the most fun tape to break down given the athleticism and gunslinger-like traits he shows on Friday nights. As a junior, it resulted in 30 total touchdowns with creativity and pizazz often included. Also a baseball player, the arm talent and mobility make for a modern quarterback talent with a lot to gain as a senior this fall." - John Garcia Jr. 

Overall, LaCrue is the No. 13 commit for the Badgers in the 2023 recruiting class. With several available scholarships still available, it will be interesting to see if Wisconsin can add any other scholarship-worthy players over the next month before early signing day on December 21. 

LaCrue is the fifth player from the state of Colorado to commit to the Badgers since the 2020 class, joining Max Lofy (2020), Isaac Townsend (transfer), Al Ashford (2021), and Gabe Kirschke (walk-on). 

You can check out some senior film of LaCrue in action below. 

9-0 (Only Have Played in 8 Games): 99-153, 1604 Yds, 64.7%, 20 TDs, 2 Int, 71 Attempts, 597 Yds, 13 TDs, 2201 Total Yds, 33 Total TDs @BroomfieldEagl1 @SixZeroAcademy @CoachHubb2 @cdorrell18 @Coach_Sanford2 @CoachMusgrave @CoachAT23 @bobby_engram @CaseyRabach_61 @CoachTurnerUW pic.twitter.com/EiR9p2g21P

— cole joseph lacrue (@lacruecole18) October 23, 2022

Related links:

• Wisconsin adds first commitment in 2024 class from Austin Alexander
• Three-star wide receiver Trech Kekahuna decommits from Wisconsin
• Wisconsin offers 11 players from Mater Dei High School in California

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