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Wisconsin football offers 2023 three-star tight end CJ Jacobsen

The Wisconsin Badgers have a new tight end they are after in the 2023 recruiting class.

Matt Belz

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After weeks without much recruiting news in the 2023 recruiting class, the Wisconsin Badgers have identified a new tight end target.

On Thursday, the Wisconsin coaching staff extended their first scholarship offer under interim head coach Jim Leonhard to Idaho tight end CJ Jacobsen.

The offer to Jacobsen ends an extended period without any new scholarship offers in the 2023 cycle that dates back to before the season began, and Jacobsen is the only uncommitted tight end with an offer now in the class.

The top-ranked tight end prospect in the state of Idaho and the second-ranked player in the state overall for his grade level, Jacobsen is an intriguing athlete. At 6-foot-5 and over 230 pounds, he displays an ability to move fluidly in space and possesses good hands. Additionally, he shows a willingness to block and he has the frame to continue to add bulk and muscle. 

Playing at Rocky Mountain High School in Meridian (Idaho), Jacobsen frequently splits out as a wide receiver, where he can use his size to create mismatches out wide. On film, the 6-foot-5 target appears to run well, and his basketball background makes him the type of athlete Wisconsin has traditionally gone after lately at the tight end position. Overall, Jacobsen ranks as the No. 40 tight end in the country and is a top-1000 prospect for the entire class.

The Badgers are playing a bit of catch-up in his recruitment though after Jacobsen recently announced a top-6 a month ago. Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Louisville, NC State, and Utah are the teams that made that final cut down, so it will be interesting to see if Wisconsin can secure an official visit in the coming weeks.

Jacobsen has previously taken official visits to NC State and Utah over the summer, with both schools thought to be the favorites at this time. Beyond his six favorites, the three-star tight end also holds scholarship offers from Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Liberty, Nevada, UNLV, Utah State, and Washington State. 

With Wisconsin still searching for a tight end in the 2023 class, Jacobsen is clearly a priority target at this stage of the season. The class currently sits at 13 commits and ranks No. 56 in the country according to 247 Sports.

The new offer could be indicative of a renewed emphasis on the 2023 class under the direction of interim head coach Jim Leonhard, as the Badgers still have several available scholarships and key positions such as quarterback and tight end unfilled. However, it will be interesting to see if the mid-season coaching change helps or hurts the Badgers going forward in this cycle, as there is still a level of uncertainty about future leadership, and specifically, the future of position coach Chris Haering in the tight end room. 

You can see CJ Jacobsen's senior film through the first five games below, or check out his entire junior season here. 

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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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