Wisconsin football showing a renewed emphasis on Saint Louis recruiting

Barry Alvarez was wildly successful in recruiting Saint Louis, and Paul Chryst's staff is recruiting the area hard in the 2023 recruiting class.

Some of the top players from the Barry Alvarez era were from the city of Saint Louis.

A Midwest hotbed for talent, Alvarez recruited the area well and found several high-impact players such as Terrell Fletcher, Brandon Williams, Jamar Fletcher, and Wendell Bryant. 

In fact, Alvarez had at least one player from Saint Louis on the roster for the entire duration of his coaching career with the Wisconsin. 

Unfortunately, that pipeline dried up quickly in the post-Alvarez era. Kraig Appleton was the last signing from the city under Bret Bielema in 2010, though Montee Ball was from Wentzville (Mo.), which is about 30 minutes outside of Saint Louis.

Gary Andersen did not sign a single player from the city during his brief stint in Madison, while Paul Chryst hadn't until making recent inroads this off-season. 

Wisconsin added UCLA transfer Keontez Lewis of East Saint Louis via the transfer portal back in January. A couple of months later, the Badgers signed three-star wide receiver Chris Brooks Jr. of Saint Louis University High School in the 2022 class. 

Lewis already flashed this spring and is trending towards being a significant contributor in 2022, while Brooks Jr. will join the team this summer as a true freshman. 

While two players are far from a wild shakeup on Wisconsin's roster, the Badgers are more active in the city on the recruiting front as well. 

After offering only two kids from Saint Louis in the 2021 and 2022 recruiting classes combined, one of which was Brooks Jr., Mickey Turner and the recruiting department have five offers out in the 2023 class. Additionally, the staff has already offered two four-star wide receivers in the 2024 cycle. 

As things stand, the Badgers are hoping to have multiple players from the metro area in for official visits this summer, headlined by defensive lineman Tyler Gant of Christian Brothers College. 

Sophomore wide receiver Keontez Lewis hauling in a pass during spring practice with the Wisconsin Badgers.  :: Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Gant is a top priority defensive line target for Wisconsin in the 2023 class and the three-star lineman told SI that he is in the process of scheduling an official visit to Madison for this summer.

The Badgers also have an offer out to Gant's high school teammate, running back Jeremiyah Love, who is a dynamic runner and has offers from all over the country, including Alabama and USC. 

2023 Tight end Zach Ortwerth and 2024 wide receiver Ryan Wingo, who are from the same high school as Chris Brooks Jr., are also priority targets for the Badgers in their classes. Ortwerth is one of only two uncommitted tight ends with an offer from Wisconsin, while Wingo is a top-20 recruit in the country. 

Then there is Cardinal Ritter College Prep, where the Badgers have offers out to four-star safety Marvin Burks Jr. and wide receiver Fredrick Moore. Burks appears to be a longshot at this point, but Moore  is one of the latest prospects to earn an offer from the staff and is lightning quick, at a position of need. 

It is hard to know if the recent additions of Lewis and Brooks Jr. can be a catalyst for future success in the area, but it is apparent that the coaching staff has a renewed emphasis on the city after two straight classes with little activity. 

While the Badgers have had previous cycles, such as in 2020, when they actively pursued players like Reggie Love and Joe Moore, this cycle Wisconsin appears to have a legitimate shot at adding a player or two out of the metro area. 

Recruiting director Mickey Turner is a Missouri native, so that could be part of the reason, but we will see if this increased effort pays off for the Badgers in 2023 and in the classes to come. 

Below are the current players Wisconsin has offered so far:

2023 offers:

• WR Fredrick Moore of Cardinal Ritter College Prep

• TE Zach Ortwerth of Saint Louis Univeristy HS

• S Marvin Burks Jr. of Cardinal Ritter College Prep

• RB Jeremiyah Love of Christian Brothers College

• DL Tyler Gant of Christian Brothers College

 2024 offers:

• WR Ryan Wingo of Saint Louis University HS

• WR Jeremiah McClellan of Christian Brothers College

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