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Ten potential recruiting targets for Luke Fickell at Wisconsin

A look at ten players that Luke Fickell could target to add to Wisconsin's 2023 recruiting class.

Matt Belz

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Anytime there is a coaching change, there is plenty of recruiting movement that takes place. With Sunday's announcement of Luke Fickell accepting the head coaching position at Wisconsin, there are bound to be some shakeups on the recruiting trail in the 2023 recruiting class. 

On Sunday night, two former Wisconsin commits backed away from their pledges. Offensive lineman Christopher Terek flipped his commitment in favor of Notre Dame, and Trey Pierce reopened his recruitment to pursue other schools. 

While those losses sting immediately, Luke Fickell is known for his abilities as a recruiter. Add in the fact that Wisconsin has several available scholarships, and things could begin to heat up on the recruiting trail for the Badgers in the 2023 recruiting class.  

With that in mind, here is a look at ten prospects in the 2023 cycle who Luke Fickell could target and attempt to sign in his first recruiting class with Wisconsin. 

Four-star linebacker Trevor Carter

A current Cincinnati commit, Trevor Carter was previously offered by the Wisconsin staff and was a priority recruit for outside linebackers coach Bobby April prior to his commitment in November of 2021. 

A fast and instinctual player, Carter could play inside or outside linebacker at the next level and is considered a four-star prospect by 247 Sports. Carter is teammates with current UW commit Jaquez Keyes and recently reopened his recruitment immediately after the Fickell news broke. 

Carter and Ironton High School (Ohio) will play in the state championship this week and has 131 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, six sacks, and seven forced fumbles so far this year.  

Given Fickell's relationship with Carter and the fact that he reopened his recruitment, Trevor Carter is a name to potentially watch. 

2023 quarterback Brady Drogosh throwing the football.
2023 quarterback Brady Drogosh throwing the football for De La Salle Collegiate.  :: Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK

Four-star quarterback Brady Drogosh

Committed to Cincinnati since May of 2022, four-star quarterback Brady Drogosh is one of the top quarterbacks in the 2023 recruiting class. An Elite 11 finalist, Drogosh is considered a four-star recruit and the No. 49 player in the country by On3. 

A true dual-threat quarterback, Drogosh recently led Warren De La Salle to a state title just days ago, throwing for 142 yards and three touchdowns, while also running for 174 yards and a score. 

At 6-foot-4 he has tremendous size for the quarterback position, and he has the talent to make plays with his arm and legs, something desired by most programs across the country. 

Considering his ties to Luke Fickell and Wisconsin's need for improved quarterback play, Drogosh could be one of the first recruits to hear from the new coach of the Badgers. Wisconsin already has Cole LaCrue committed in the class, but with scholarship numbers light at the position, I could see the Badgers attempting to take two in this cycle. 

Wide receiver Collin Dixon running with the football
Senior wide receiver Collin Dixon running into the end zone after catching a pass.  :: PHIL MASTURZO / USA TODAY NETWORK

3-star wide receiver Collin Dixon

A former Wisconsin wide receiver commit, Collin Dixon recently de-committed from the Badgers on November 17. 

However, that does not mean that Dixon could not rejoin the 2023 class. Luke Fickell has extensive ties to the state of Ohio after growing up in Columbus, and Dixon is one of the top wide-outs in the state. 

Dixon previously fell in love with Madison, committing to the Badgers in June. Maybe Wisconsin can land his commitment again if they go all in for the stellar athlete from Tallmadge High School. Dixon put together a huge senior season with 88 receptions for 1493 yards and 19 touchdowns in 12 games. 

Four-star cornerback Amare Snowden

Rated as a four-star cornerback according to the 247 Sports Composite, Amare Snowden opted to reopen his recruitment on Monday.

A lengthy cornerback with impressive speed and quickness, Snowden is 6-foot-3 and previously visited Wisconsin before ultimately committing to Cincinnati in the summer. Snowden also included the Badgers as one of his six finalists at the time of his commitment, and there was mutual interest at the time. 

Also a great baseball player, Snowden was prepared to play baseball at Cincinnati, so that could be a hurdle for Wisconsin. However, Luke Fickell has a strong track record with defensive backs and Snowden is one of the top corners in the Midwest. 

I would fully expect Snowden to hear from Luke Fickell, and it will be interesting to see if the Badgers can land an official visit from the star cornerback out of Roseville High School in Michigan. 

Four-star safety Braedyn Moore

A four-star safety recruit by On3, Braedyn Moore is a terrific athlete. With uncertainty at Cincinnati, the current Bearcat commit could look to potentially follow Fickell to Madison. 

On3 has Moore as a top-200 recruit in the country and the No. 6 player in the state of Ohio. The Badgers recently hosted safety, Kahlil Ali, for an official visit over the weekend, so safety is still a potential need in the class. Maybe Fickell gives Moore a call to see if there is any interest in visiting Wisconsin. 

Moore has been committed to Cincinnati since April of 2022, but he is one of the top safeties in the Midwest and holds offers from Boston College, Duke, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia at the Power-5 level. 

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Three-star tight end Khamari Anderson

Another current Cincinnati commit, Khamari Anderson is a highly-regarded three-star tight end from Cass Tech in Detroit. The No. 5 player in Michigan per 247 Sports, Anderson is poised to play in the Under Armour All-American Game in January.

With the Badgers still without a tight end committed in the 2023 cycle, and injuries plaguing the current group, Anderson is the type of athlete that could flourish at the college level. At 6-foot-4, he runs well for the position and is a versatile playmaker. 

Wisconsin has attempted to make inroads at powerhouse Cass Tech in the past, we shall see if Fickell attempts to sway Anderson to join him in Madison. 

Three-star wide receiver Ty Perkins

Without a wide receiver commit in the 2023 class, Wisconsin could look to Ironton High School for another prospect. A teammate of Jaquez Keyes and Trevor Carter from earlier in the list, Ty Perkins is a Cincinnati wide receiver commit that visited Wisconsin before. 

The Badgers never offered Perkins before his commitment to Cincinnati in June, but he is an intriguing and long wide receiver with a 6-foot-3 frame. 

If Luke Fickell chooses to offer Perkins and attempt to flip him, I would have to imagine there would be some interest. Perkins has over 1,100 yards and 16 touchdowns so far this season. 

Three-star nose tackle Jamel Howard

Luke Fickell has traditionally used three down linemen in his defensive scheme, making a true nose tackle important. Former Wisconsin commit Jamel Howard could once again get a call from Fickell. 

Howard de-committed from UW back on November 17, but still maintains an interest in Wisconsin. With the news of Fickell to the Badgers now official, perhaps he will consider rejoining the class. 

With other scholarship offers from Illinois, Michigan, and Nebraska it will not be easy, but I would assume that Howard hears from Fickell in the near future. With Fickell previously playing defensive tackle in college and the NFL, he understands the importance of that position. 

Naples (Fla.) cornerback Jonas Duclona running with the football.
Naples High School (Fla.) cornerback Jonas Duclona running with the football.  :: Landon Bost/Naples Daily News/USA TODAY Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK

Three-star cornerback Jonas Duclona

6-foot cornerback Jonas Duclona also stepped away from his commitment to Cincinnati on Monday. A talented three-star out of Naples (Fla.), Duclona comes from the same high school as Wisconsin running back Chez Mellusi and already holds an offer from the Badgers. 

With Duclona looking around, it will be interesting to see if Wisconsin once again pursues the Florida corner, or if they stand pat at the position. 

Duclona has scholarship offers from Arkansas, Boston College, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Louisville, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, and West Virginia, among others. 

Ayden Greene catching a pass for Powell High School.
Wide receiver Ayden Powell catching a pass for Powell High School in Tennessee.  :: Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Three-star wide receiver Ayden Powell

Ayden Powell wasted very little time after the news broke of Luke Fickell's decision. The three-star wide receiver out of Powell High School took to Twitter to announce his de-commitment and is a highly regarded prospect that should garner plenty of interest. 

With his previous relationship with Fickell and the fact that he is already on the market, Power is another name to keep an eye on. His original commitment to Cincinnati came over Power-5 offers from Arkansas, Mississippi State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, and West Virginia. 

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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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