All Badgers

Wisconsin football recruiting: Early Signing Day standouts and awards

A look at how Wisconsin's 2023 recruiting class looks from top to bottom, including the sleepers, underrated gets, and top commits in the cycle for the Badgers.

Matt Belz

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The Wisconsin Badgers secured a number of key signatures on Wednesday as part of Early Signing Day. With 14 high school prospects and one transfer signing their letter of intent with the Badgers, it's now time to take a look at some of the notable players set to join Wisconsin as soon as the 2023 season. 

Without further ado, here are the Early Signing Day standouts and 2023 cycle awards.

Contents

  1. Offensive MVP
  2. Defensive MVP
  3. Best recruiting win
  4. Early Impact
  5. Biggest surprise
  6. Must win
  7. Class leaders
  8. Home state representative
  9. Top transfer

Offensive MVP

  • James Durand (Four-star OL from Chandler, Arizona)

In recent classes, Wisconsin has done a great job of recruiting the offensive line position, but the Badgers have loaded up with tackles. James Durand has the talent, athleticism, and size to be a standout offensive guard or center at the college level.

One of the earliest commits for UW, choosing the Badgers back in early May, Durand has only continued to improve this past season, and he looks like a really good get for Wisconsin along the offensive line. With a new offensive line coach coming in, Durand is probably not ready for immediate playing time, but he is a player to watch over the coming seasons based on his continued growth over the past season and four-star potential. 

Defensive MVP

  • Braedyn Moore (Four-star safety from Hamilton, Ohio)

One of the first commitments for Luke Fickell since taking over as head coach, Braedyn Moore, was a crucial flip for the staff. A four-star athlete with a ton of Midwest interest, Moore has the speed and playmaking ability to be a difference-maker in the secondary and the flexibility to play multiple positions.

With the Badgers likely to deploy more five defensive back sets in the future under Fickell, Moore is the type of athlete that fits perfectly in a defense that will use multiple looks, and I think he was a tremendous addition to the class.

The former Cincinnati commit is one of the top-ranked commits in the 2023 cycle for Wisconsin, and I think his fit makes him even more valuable going forward. 

Best recruiting win

  • Amare Snowden (Four-star cornerback from Roseville, Michigan)

In terms of the overall MVP of the class, Amare Snowden might be the choice, but I believe the fact that the new coaching staff was able to lock him down is incredibly impressive.

A former Cincinnati commit, Snowden chose the Bearcats over the Badgers the first time, and the expectation was that he would play baseball at the college level. However, Luke Fickell and the coaching staff did a phenomenal job of easing those concerns and obtaining his signature on Early Signing Day.

Snowden is a rangy 6-foot-3 athlete that can run a 4.5 40-yard dash. There are simply very few college athletes that have that blend of size and speed in the secondary, making him a valuable addition at either cornerback or safety for the Badgers.

Credit to Wisconsin for not backing down and closing out the four-star cornerback out of Michigan. 

Early Impact

  • Jonas Duclona (three-star cornerback out of Naples, Florida)

While cornerback Jonas Duclona is considered a consensus three-star prospect, he has traits that could make him the next great Florida cornerback at Wisconsin. Quick in and out of his backpedal, with seven career interceptions at the prep level, Duclona has the twitchiness to be an early-impact player for Wisconsin. 

The lone representative for the Badgers at this time for the Army All-American Game, Duclona will have the chance to compete against some of the top players in the country, and it would not be a shock to see his ranking improve in San Antonio. 

There are several players that could have easily taken home this award. However, Duclona's size at six feet tall, athleticism, and track background make him an intriguing player in Wisconsin's secondary. Add in the fact that he is enrolling early for spring practice, and I think early playing time is a possibility. 

Cornerback Jace Arnold is another cornerback to watch here, as the depth chart will have some openings, and both players will take part in spring practice. 

Biggest surprise

  • Trech Kekahuna (three-star wide receiver out of Hawaii)

I don't think anyone saw this one coming on Early Signing Day. A former Wisconsin commit under Paul Chryst, Kekahuna had announced his commitment to Arizona within the past seven days. However, the Badgers kept after the Hawaii native and ultimately found room to add the dynamic slot receiver. 

After originally committing to Wisconsin as a relatively unknown prospect in the summer, Kekahuna wound up with an impressive offer list that included schools like Arizona State, Oregon, Texas A&M, Utah, and Washington State. The ability of the staff to go out and win his recruitment at the last minute was a pleasant surprise. 

Must win

  • Cole LaCrue (three-star quarterback out of Colorado)

Quarterback recruiting did not go as planned early in the cycle for Paul Chryst and Bobby Engram. The Badgers missed on a couple of early targets despite desperately needing a quarterback in the class. After a thorough evaluation, Wisconsin eventually pulled the trigger on Colorado quarterback Cole LaCrue and signed him on Wednesday. A dual-threat quarterback, LaCrue, is expected on campus for spring practice and should help bolster numbers in a thin quarterback room. 

While LaCrue is not the most highly-rated recruit in Wisconsin's 2023 class, he represented a position of need, so landing him was important for the health of the quarterback position long-term. 

Class leaders

  • Tyler Jansey + Justin Taylor (three-star athletes out of Illinois)

The first commitment for Wisconsin in the 2023 recruiting class, Illinois linebacker Tyler Jansey never wavered after originally committing in January of 2022. The three-star run-stopper also actively recruited for the Badgers and made several trips to campus on key recruiting weekends. Jansey put together a big senior year, and he looks like another great find by the staff early in the cycle.  

Safety Justin Taylor falls into the same bucket, with an early commitment to Wisconsin and an active recruiter for the staff. Taylor is a Chicago area athlete, and with Luke Fickell looking to generate deeper inroads into Chicago and the suburbs, Taylor should only help those efforts. 

Home state representative

  • Nate White (three-star running back from Milwaukee, Wisconsin)

I just love what Nate White could bring to Wisconsin's offense. A phenomenal athlete with a track background and supreme quickness, White is projected to play running back at the next level despite primarily playing quarterback for Rufus King High School. A dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands, White was an All-State selection by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association and finished his senior year with over 1,300 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns while averaging 10 yards per carry.

White will need to continue to add weight at the next level, but he possesses incredible burst and shiftiness in the open field. With his athleticism, he should help out as a runner, but White has the ability to make plays in the passing game as well.

With the Badgers potentially losing Braelon Allen, Chez Mellusi, and Julius Davis after this season, I think White has the quickness to differentiate himself in the room and possibly see the field somewhat early in his career. 

Top transfer

  • Nick Evers (freshman transfer quarterback from Oklahoma)

The Badgers only signed one transfer on Wednesday, but former Oklahoma quarterback Nick Evers might be the most important addition of the day for next season. A former four-star prospect out of high school, he has four years of eligibility remaining, and the expectation is that he will compete for the starting quarterback spot this spring.

Wisconsin needed to increase the level of competition in the quarterback room, and Evers has the talent to do just that, and potentially elevate the room in a major way if he pans out.

Evers is a dual-threat option that can run well, and it will now be fascinating to see how quickly he can adapt to the new system in Madison and if his talents on tape are the real deal. 

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Matt Belz
MATT BELZ

Title: Publisher, Beat Writer for AllBadgers.com, a Sports Illustrated Channel Hello, my name is Matt Belz, and I am the site manager at All Badgers. I previously wrote for multiple years at Buckeyes 5th Quarter and have been the leading publisher here since March of 2022.  When I am not covering the Wisconsin Badgers football and men's basketball teams, I enjoy being outside and spending time with family and friends.  You can follow everything I write about on several different platforms. First and foremost on our site...AllBadgers.com You can follow me personally on Twitter at @savedbythebelz or check out our Facebook page at Wisconsin FanNation on Sports Illustrated.

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