Wisconsin received a promise from Samuel Lateju, a 2025 linebacker, on Monday afternoon. This is the program’s eighth pledge in the class and the first since January. Luke Fickell’s team is now ranked No. 9 in the nation and No. 3 in the new Big Ten, trailing only Ohio State and Penn State.
Interestingly, Fickell’s 2024 class ended with a blue-chip ratio of 50%, hence the class does not currently have a blue-chip recruit. Despite the fact that there are still months until the cycle ends, volume rather than top-notch quality accounts for Wisconsin’s current top-10 rating.
For Fickell and his coaching team, the cycle that ends in 2025 is vital.
First, Wisconsin’s coaching staff saw turnover throughout the off-season. Fickell’s new personnel need to smoothly carry on 2024’s recruiting success.
Second, only with better talent will Fickell’s goal for the program succeed. As new teams join and divisions are abolished, it is currently unclear where the Badgers will end up in the new Big Ten. For this program, the relationship between recruiting success and on-field performance is higher than it has ever been.
Wisconsin’s conference standing won’t improve unless the 2025 cycle builds on the achievements of 2024.
