Wisconsin Tall Boys: Biggest Prospects in the Badger State
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It’s been a while since I’ve written for our PRzWI site, but with the amount of Badger State boys I’ve come across on Twitter and Hudl with eye-popping and physically imposing size & measurables, I simply could not resist hopping…
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Continue ReadingIt’s been a while since I’ve written for our PRzWI site, but with the amount of Badger State boys I’ve come across on Twitter and Hudl with eye-popping and physically imposing size & measurables, I simply could not resist hopping back in for this fun PRzWI special feature. Just like how I enjoy my beer, I like my prospects tall, and Wisconsin is filled to the brim with linemen, tight ends, and athletes with off-the-chart size that is impossible to ignore for potential college suitors. Not only that, there’s some serious talent on the list, with P5 and FBS recruits intermingled all over this feature, as well as players who project to all levels of college football success. We also have all three returning graduating classes represented, and with the volume and historical legacy of Wisconsin products balling out in the college ranks – especially with OL, TE, and DL – this is a can’t-miss PRzWI piece for our lovely subscribers. Get to know the biggest returning prospects in the Badger State below! Thanks for reading.
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Andrew Jensen Andrew Jensen 6'9" | 210 lbs | WR Kaukauna | 2026 WI (Kaukauna) 2026. WR/P. @AJensen320
6’9, 205 lbs.
One of the youngest tall boys on this list also happens to be the most towering, as Kaukauna’s 2026 hooper/WR Andrew Jensen Andrew Jensen 6'9" | 210 lbs | WR Kaukauna | 2026 WI comes in off the charts at 6’9 as only a 15-year-old. At 205 lbs., he’s got an alluring amount of room to grow and looks explosive, coordinated, graceful, and long in his recent basketball film. Sadly, I couldn’t scrounge up any football tape, and after watching the basketball tape that made me even more heartbroken, as he looks far from undeveloped and gawky, which you usually see with young bucks still growing into their bodies. Future two-sport prospect if his football game resembles his basketball skillset.
Owen Strebig Owen Strebig 6'8" | 295 lbs | OL Catholic Memorial | 2025 State WI (Catholic Memorial) 2025. OT. @OwenStrebig
6’8, 290 lbs.
Already holding a killer list of offers, Catholic Memorial has another blue-chip offensive lineman on their hands in 2025 massive tall boy Owen Strebig Owen Strebig 6'8" | 295 lbs | OL Catholic Memorial | 2025 State WI . Reporting in at 6’8, 290 lbs., Strebig saw his stock blow up this offseason after Indiana became his first college offer in early December. After that, Minnesota, Illinois, Purdue, Iowa, Penn State, Wisconsin, Florida, Michigan, and Notre Dame have officially entered the picture, and Strebig has taken early offseason unofficals to Champaign, Iowa City, Happy Valley, and Madison. The colossal left tackle is impressively strong and mobile for his size and age, able to work well laterally and in space, where he can drop his hips and breakdown to cleanly line up a block. Strebig also has long arms, is bendy and can play with a low pad level for his height, and is a good finisher when he can get his leg drive going or get a defender off-balance. Also is patient and plays the hands well in his pass set, and overall looks and plays like a much more developed and experience player in comparison to his age. Easily shows the potential to play football past college and is/will continue to be a must-know OT in the 2025 class nationally.
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Alton Williams Alton Williams 6'8" | 290 lbs | OL Sun Prairie East | 2024 State WI (Sun Prairie East) 2024. OT. @AltonWi68
6’8, 280 lbs.
I’m still getting used to Sun Prairie having two schools now, but that doesn’t change the fact that the city and school system is a hotbed of prep football talent at all positions on the gridiron. Out of East High School and the 2024 class comes the behemoth of an OT Alton Williams Alton Williams 6'8" | 290 lbs | OL Sun Prairie East | 2024 State WI , who hits the scales at 6’8, 280 lbs. and still growing. Also a standout thrower on the track & field team, Williams has taken unofficial visits to Northern Illinois and North Dakota this offseason with UW-La Crosse, MSU-Mankato, Wisconsin, and NDSU also sending recruiting graphics and/or junior day invites. He looks like a lean 280 in his junior tape, and I am impressed with both the quality and quantity of his pass-pro reps, where he can drop his hips and set a balanced anchor for his size and is capable of handling both speed and power rushers. Williams also uses his overwhelming size and good hand placement to easily back opponents downfield in run-blocking situations. Noticeable and consistent technique, great frame, and a fluid blocker in the run and pass game. That coveted first offer will be here before we know it!
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Zach McClain Zach McClain 6'8" | 230 lbs | DL Platteville | 2024 State WI (Platteville) 2024. OLB. @ZachMcClain11
6’8, 220 lbs.
A 6’8, 220-pound outside linebacker? What more needs to be said! Coming outside of the SW corner of the Badger State, Platteville’s Zach McClain Zach McClain 6'8" | 230 lbs | DL Platteville | 2024 State WI visited Iowa State on a gameday experience this fall, helped the Hillmen’s basketball squad to a co-conference championship on the hardwood, and is in the midst of his junior year offseason that has so far included a junior day invite from the hometown UWP Pioneers. I’m surprised more schools aren’t involved, as McClain brings a hard-hitting playstyle to the table and caused some havoc off the edge of the LOS as a pass rusher in 2022. He displayed a ton of length, which he used to hold off blocks, a solid get-off that he combines with an effective chop/rip, and strength at the contact point, and the ability to tackle in space. McClain also has some strong reps of him high-pointing the football and winning 50/50 balls through tight coverage as a TE, particularly in the red zone. More schools need to get at this dude!
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Derek Jensen Derek Jensen 6'7" | 310 lbs | OL Arrowhead | 2024 State WI 2024. OT. @DerekJensen2024
6’7, 315 lbs.
The first of two Arrowhead High School offensive tackles to make the list of gargantuan Badger State Tall Boys, PRzWI has had 2024 OT Derek Jensen Derek Jensen 6'7" | 310 lbs | OL Arrowhead | 2024 State WI on our radar for years now and has been an obvious and high-profile OL prospect since he was a young freshman in 2020. It’s not like he was hard to find, as the size and historic recruiting legacy at Arrowhead got him in the scope and sightline of a ton of scouts and college coaches early, and he’s done nothing but live up to the hype since then. Jensen earned his first P5 offer way back in August of 2021 when Bret Bielema and Illinois pulled the trigger first, and since that day Iowa State, Virginia, Syracuse, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Purdue, Minnesota, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Mizzou, and Duke joined his list of suitors. Recently, in exciting and unsurprising fashion, Jensen continued a long and star-studded tradition of monster in-state OL to commit to the home state Badgers when he decided to play his college football in Madison around a week ago. It’s a literally huge win for the new Badgers staff, as the All-Conference, All-Region, and All-State selection makes for another in-stater to commit to the new staff at a premium position the Badgers build their success on. Heavy hands, consistently square base, and good strength at the point of attack helps him have his way with opponents in the run game, but I am even more impressed with his pass set, where his footwork, anchor, active hands, and ability to attack and counter defender pass rush moves helps him resemble a brickwall on the right side of Arrowhead’s OL. Technically sound, comfortable against both speed and power rushers, and patient, he was a literally giant asset in the pass game and will come into Mad Town ahead of a lot of his counterparts in the pass pro department. Jensen is also a crushing finisher who I would not want falling on top of me. Can’t wait to watch this kid in the B1G!
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Casey Arendt Casey Arendt 6'6" | 300 lbs | OL Port Washington | 2024 State WI (Port Washington) 2024. OT. @casey_arendt
6’7, 285 lbs.
Already an accomplished and experienced offensive tackle, Port Washington’s 6’7, 285 lber. Casey Arendt Casey Arendt 6'6" | 300 lbs | OL Port Washington | 2024 State WI is off to a hot start on the recruiting trail and has earned scholarship offers from MSU-Mankato and Sioux Falls since March 20th. After his junior season in 2022, Arendt was First Team All-Conference, Conference OL of the Year, WFCA All-Region, and All-State honorable mention for his success as a blocker in the Pirates offense. 2023 is poised to be even better, and on tape the 6’7 OT shows off strength and dominance at the point of attack, sending smaller defenders flying off his pads or when he extends his long arms. Arendt is also aggressive and gets the most out of each of his hits, showing off that nasty streak that college OL coaches love, and I also am impressed with his reps in space where he can drop his hips and breakdown to nab smaller defenders at the second & third levels of the defense. He’s got a good understanding of leverage and how to get opponents into the turf when they get even a little off-balance or out of position. Easily a scholarship offensive tackle and a player I would not be excited to line up against. More offers are coming.
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Rhylan Nehls Rhylan Nehls 6'7" | 285 lbs | OL DeForest | 2024 WI (DeForest) 2024. OL. @rhylannehls66
6’7, 285 lbs.
Coming out of powerhouse DeForest High School, rising senior Rhylan Nehls Rhylan Nehls 6'7" | 285 lbs | OL DeForest | 2024 WI is looking to make 2023 his fall, and is a literally big part of a returning Norskies offensive line with some serious size and experience. Sadly, he doesn’t have any game tape available, but with the combination of physical attributes and the great job of coaching and developing that comes from the Norskies coaching staff, he’s got a chance to be a breakout star this fall.
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Brayden Thompson Brayden Thompson 6'8" | 315 lbs | OL Kettle Moraine | 2025 State WI (Kettle Moraine) – 2025. OT. @BraydenT34
6’7, 315 lbs.
A product of the heavyweight Class 8 Conference and the Kettle Moraine Lasers program, 6’7, 315 lber. Brayden Thompson Brayden Thompson 6'8" | 315 lbs | OL Kettle Moraine | 2025 State WI caught our PRzWI Head Scout Mark Johnson’s eye this fall as a raw but potentially special talent with an aggressive streak on tape, and I am all in agreement with Mark. As a sophomore last fall, Thompson possessed the footwork and lateral agility to cut off defenders from the backside or wash them out playside and is a competent zone blocker who can combo, chip, and get to the second level with proficiency. Also showed he can gain depth in his vertical drop against speed rushers attacking his upfield shoulder, and overall Thompson shows good balance for a young lineman of his stature. PRzWI is incredibly excited to see what kind of work he’s put in this offseason. The must-know name out of the 2025 OL class just visited the Minnesota Gophers for a spring practice to kick this month off. Keep your eyes out for the giant out of Wales!
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Michael Roeske Michael Roeske 6'7" | 270 lbs | OL Wautoma | 2025 State WI (Wautoma) 2025. OL. @roeske_michael
6’7, 280
The 16-year-old Wisconsin-bred Tall Boy reports some solid weight room numbers for his age and size, most notably a 445 lb. squat, 280 lb. bench press, and 260 lb. power clean, and received a big-time first offer back in December from B1G Indiana and Coach Bob Bostad, a Pardeeville native and UWSP grad. Now a P5 recruit, Wautoma rising junior Michael Roeske Michael Roeske 6'7" | 270 lbs | OL Wautoma | 2025 State WI has visited Mad Town twice for unofficials since the Hoosiers offered and is another literally big member of the distinguished Wisconsin 2025 OL class at 6’7, 280 pounds. In the sophomore tape, Roeske was a two-way varsity starter at OT and DE and opens his tape with a beautiful INT where he patiently reads a RB swing pass, steps in front of the ball and easily snags it out of the air, and then outruns the QB for a 60+ yard TD return in a beautiful display of football acumen and top-end speed for a big guy. Still on the defensive side of the ball, Roeske can run plays down on the edge of the defense, tackle in 1-on-1 situations, overpower blockers, and hold a gap while tossing blocking attempts out of the way with his long arms and sheer size. Offensively, watching him pull and run downfield in lead blocking scenarios is a thing of beauty, and just like on the defensive side, Roeske can overpower defenders and back them downfield with good leg drive once he’s engaged. Technique-wise, he’s still raw, but the functional mobility and physical gifts are more than present and allowed him to be a hulking & physical presence on both sides of the ball for the Hornets. He’s going to be a monster of an upperclassman.
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Carter Kadow Carter Kadow 6'7" | 245 lbs | OL Middleton | 2024 State WI (Middleton) 2024. OL/TE. @carter_kadow
6’7, 255 lbs.
Middleton’s rising senior Carter Kadow Carter Kadow 6'7" | 245 lbs | OL Middleton | 2024 State WI has been busy on the junior year official visit circuit since school started and has checked out the likes of Minnesota, Iowa State, Western Michigan, Penn State, and Indiana during the fall with Ball State and Illinois State getting visits during the spring. The Cardinals sport one of the tallest returning rosters in the Badger State for 2023, and Kadow is leading the pack, measuring in at a lean 6’7, 255 lbs. with more room to grow. His long arms immediately stands out on tape, and I’m a big fan of his balance and overall body control for a still-growing prospect of his size. He’s able to change direction, drop his hips, and stay upright through a writhing and resisting opponent when he’s locked in and engaged with a block. Good base, consistent leg drive, and great hand placement right on the chest plate of opponents make him very hard to detach from. If Kadow has been adding strength this offseason he’s going to be a beast on the edge of the LOS for Middleton. The Cardinals are going to be a amateur moving company this fall.
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Garrett Sexton Garrett Sexton 6'7" | 295 lbs | OL Arrowhead | 2024 State WI (Arrowhead) 2024. OT. @garrettsextonwi
6’7, 240
Representing one of the historically strongest programs in Wisconsin state high school football history in Arrowhead High School, rising senior OT Garrett Sexton Garrett Sexton 6'7" | 295 lbs | OL Arrowhead | 2024 State WI also represents a growing trend among collegiate OL coaches and rooms geared towards finding tall, long, but lighter OL prospects that coaching staffs and S&C coordinators can mold and develop into monsters of their own likeness, which circumvents the traditional theme of recruiting the biggest OL recruits you can find. A converted QB, Sexton’s stock has exploded into the stratosphere since he moved to the LOS, first at TE and then to OT, and since the new year rolled around he’s received P5 offers from Iowa State, Purdue, Kansas, Syracuse, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Mizzou, Rutgers, Northwestern, Tennessee, Duke, Michigan State, Penn State, Baylor, Vanderbilt, Stanford, and Oklahoma. Plus a Princeton roster spot. Two days ago, Sexton named his Top 4 of Oklahoma, Minnesota, Penn State, and Iowa, and has announced a decision date of May 1st for the lucky program to officially earn his talents. From what I’ve seen from Badger247‘s Evan Flood, it sounds like the Badgers are going to continue to keep tabs on the 2024 OT, so don’t count the home state’s new staff out until he signs somewhere. Sexton shows off eye-catching length, good strength and pop for a leaner OT, solid finishing ability from a variety of blocking positions, and outstanding mobility that can help him cover a ton of ground when looking for work or running an opponent 20 yards downfield. I also like how he can set his base and absorb hits from larger defensive linemen, and he’s balanced when working laterally across the LOS. Sexton’s best football days are still in front of him, which is saying a lot because he’s already physically dominant as a 240 lb. and still-growing OT. Can’t wait to watch this dude on Saturdays!
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Logan Bahr Logan Bahr 6'7" | 220 lbs | TE Onalaska Luther | 2024 State WI (Onalaska Luther) 2024. TE. @loganbahr1
6’7, 215
A lean and athletic TE, Onalaska product Logan Bahr Logan Bahr 6'7" | 220 lbs | TE Onalaska Luther | 2024 State WI is a distinguished athlete on the gridiron and hardcourt who earned All-Conference honors as a TE and All-Conference HM + WBCA All-State honors as a hooper. This offseason, he’s earned junior day invites from Augustana, NDSU, SMSU, MSU-Moorhead, Northern Iowa, Northern State, Winona State, Sioux Falls, and UW-Platteville, and has so far visited Northern Iowa and Southwest MN State during his junior offseason. The Luther High School rising senior was efficient in both the run and pass games, showing off soft hands, the concentration and vertical ability to beautifully high-point the football, physicality after the catch, and the wherewithal to find and break down in space when running routes against zone coverage. Bahr is also a determined and aggressive blocker who can be utilized strongly to take on smaller/quicker defenders in space at the second & third level of the defense, where he has his way with defenders and shows some good pop when he lowers his pads. The passing game is where Bahr is a big-time weapon right now though, and he made some spectacular catches as a junior high up in the air, through traffic, and from a variety of different routes. TEs with his size, frame, and prowess in the passing game are not easy to find, so I’m hoping that coveted first offer is right on the cusp of revealing itself.
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Jackson Accuardi Jackson Accuardi 6'7" | 230 lbs | TE DeForest | 2025 State WI (DeForest) 2025. TE. @JacksonAccuardi
6’7, 225
One of the aforementioned returning Norskies with eye-popping size, 6’7, 225 lb. 2025 TE Jackson Accuardi Jackson Accuardi 6'7" | 230 lbs | TE DeForest | 2025 State WI is another prominent and promising piece of the Badger State’s 2025 class of tight ends and also doubles as a productive and talented hooper for DeForest during the winters. As a sophomore basketball player, Accuardi posted 14.1 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and two assists per game on the hardcourt, and as a second-year TE on the gridiron, showed off his prowess as a red zone threat thanks to his long arms, soft hands, and comfortability running out-breaking routes or through traffic in the middle of the field. Also uses those long arms to his advantage as a blocker and shows off good effort in his leg drive and fight to maintain inside hand placement. Accuardi is a promising two-sport recruit who I’m pumped to see continue to grow, develop, and sharpen his game going forward.
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Ross Liegel Ross Liegel 6'7" | 225 lbs | DL Baraboo | 2024 State WI (Baraboo) 2024. DE/TE. @RossLiegel
6’7, 215
I’m always scouting and checking out Baraboo High School prospects, and they have a heckuva Badger State Tall Boy in their 2024 class in Northern Illinois commit Ross Liegel Ross Liegel 6'7" | 225 lbs | DL Baraboo | 2024 State WI . He wasted no time in committing to play FBS football and inked with NIU a little more than a week after he earned his MAC scholarship from the Huskies, and like a lot of standouts on this list, Liegel is also an accomplished hooper who excels on the basketball court during the winters and summer AAU seasons. A First Team All-Mississippi Valley DE in 2022, Liegel tallied 58 tackles and 10 TFLs in nine games of action and was incredibly disruptive game to game, showing off twitch gap-to-gap, the ability to beat blocking attempts with his length, active hands, and strength when needed, and the body control to break down and tackle well in space. His get-off also helped him get into the backfield in a jiffy, and when he comes off the edge I like how he works flat down the LOS to meet RBs in the backfield. Liegel is also a high-effort defensive player no matter the situation and a good tackler with a physical, hair-on-fire attitude that is sure to get NIU coaches excited. He’s a fun kid to watch a definite FBS talent with a ton of room to continue growing and developing and a bright future as a defensive end. Great pickup for the Huskies.
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Pierce Weber Pierce Weber 6'7" | 285 lbs | OL Greendale | 2025 State WI (Greendale) 2025. DL. @ThePierceWeber1
6’6, 265
Highly ranked in our PRzWI Class of 2025 Big Board, Greendale’s Pierce Weber Pierce Weber 6'7" | 285 lbs | OL Greendale | 2025 State WI is quiet on the recruiting front right now but has the potential to see that change quickly and drastically. In his limited film from the fall, he’s got some impressive reps of him running down loose ball carriers 30-40 yards downfield or from the backside of the LOS all the way to the playside sideline, and is also good at using his length and hands to get skinny past blocking attempts and slip through gaps along the interior of the LOS. 2023 is going to be a big, potentially breakout year for Weber. PRzWI will be watching closely.
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Ausin Leibfried (Mount Horeb) 2024. OT. @AustinLeibfried
6’6, 255 lbs.
What an offseason it’s been for the Mount Horeb offensive tackle, who has earned Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Wyoming, Columbia, Coastal Carolina, Northern Iowa, Illinois State, Lindenwood, Akron, North Dakota State, Fordham, and Lafayette College offers since the end of January. Leibfried earned First Team All-Conference and All-Region honors as a junior and is poised for a monster senior year that could potentially bump him up into the P5 recruiting sphere thanks to his combination of size and athleticism. Balanced, strong, and physical, Leibfried is comfortable and dominant in pass pro, where he shows off a smooth and patient pass set and a heckuva punch that sends opponents flying backward and onto their butts with good timing and aggressiveness. He’s a bull once he’s engaged with a defender, and has the strength and leg drive to easily finish and topple over opponents. The balance is particularly impressive and he’s a strong kid who is only getting stronger. The rest of this offseason, and the fall, are his for the taking.
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Kevin Wojciechowski Kevin Wojciechowski 6'5" | 280 lbs | DL Oak Creek | 2025 State WI (Oak Creek) 2025. DE/TE. @kevinwojciecho4
6’6, 250 lbs.
I love Oak Creek prospects, and the Knights have a heckuva Tall Boy on their hands in 2025 Kevin Wojciechowski Kevin Wojciechowski 6'5" | 280 lbs | DL Oak Creek | 2025 State WI . Although his film from 2022 is limited, Woj looks long, lean, and can run like a deer, opening his tape with a great play of him running down a loose RB from the backside of the LOS in a fluid and high-energy defensive effort. He also does a good job of using his hands to get off single and double teams, has a good bull rush when prompted, and can line up and disrupt an offense from the 5T spot or interior of the DL. The rising junior has positioned himself for a breakout upperclassman campaign that PRzWI will be following closely!
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Hudson Cleary Hudson Cleary 6'6" | 255 lbs | OL Middleton | 2024 State WI (Middleton) 2024. OL. @cleary_hudson
6’6, 250 lbs.
Another Middleton standout along the offensive line, 6’6, 250 pounder Hudson Cleary Hudson Cleary 6'6" | 255 lbs | OL Middleton | 2024 State WI has visited St. Thomas, UNI, Wyoming, and Illinois State so far this offseason and is right on the cusp of that elusive and coveted first college football offer. With a good motor that will drive an opponent 15-20 yards downfield or run hash-to-hash to go find work, Cleary is comfortable and effective as a zone blocker and has some crushing pop when he lays his shoulders into a defender. He also does a great job of dropping his hips and setting his base to absorb contact and redeliver it in pass protection. Once Cleary gets his hands in on you, it’s over and you are going down. Middleton is a must-stop for collegiate OL recruiters and coaches in 2023!
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Matthew Nies Matthew Nies 6'6" | 185 lbs | ATH River Ridge | 2024 State WI (River Ridge) 2024. QB/DE. @MatthewNies2
6’6, 180
The brother of current Winona State DE David Nies, younger brother Matthew also took a visit to Winona in March and has heard from UW-Platteville, Western Illinois, UW-La Crosse, and UW-River Falls this offseason and is a versatile athlete who plays QB, DE, and WR on the football team and small forward/shooting guard for the basketball squad, He also holds a 3.8 GPA! The first player on this list who doesn’t primarily line up on the LOS, Nies is a mobile lefty gunslinger who can slip through tackle attempts, take the edge of a defense, and accurately throw on the move. Nies is a good athlete at the QB position with an intriguing frame that could blow up in a college S&C program. I’d love to see him at WSU with his brother.
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Robert Booker Robert Booker 6'6" | 220 lbs | TE Waunakee | 2024 State WI (Waunakee) 2024. TE. @RobertBookerr
6’6, 220 lbs.
Waunakee’s rising senior TE Robert Booker Robert Booker 6'6" | 220 lbs | TE Waunakee | 2024 State WI II went from unknown to P5 recruit through the course of the fall in an explosive and fun-to-watch recruitment thar resulted in 12 P5 and FBS offers before he shut things down and committed to the in-state Badgers in January. A First Team All-Conference and All-State performer from this past fall, Booker II’s size and length immediately jump off the screen, followed by his ball skills, contested catch & high-point ability, and YAC ability. When Booker takes off his gait helps him cover a ton of ground with each step and allows him to burn unsuspecting DBs deep, as well as slip through, stiff-arm, and bounce off tackle attempts when the ball is in his hand. He can also drop his hips and break off his routes well, and as a 6’6, 220 lber. who can run, change direction, and play the ball in the air like Booker can, it’s no surprise he quickly became a P5 TE and a future B1G standout.
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Tyler Brightman Tyler Brightman 6'5" | 180 lbs | DB Xavier | 2024 State WI (Xavier) 2024. WR. @brightman_tyler
6’5, 170
The Appleton product qualifies as one of my favorite kinds of prep prospects: the oversized free safety. At 6’5, 170 pounds, Brightman posted 22 tackles and 8 INTs (!) in his All-Conference junior season that also saw Xavier win a Bay Conference championship. The state’s returning INT leader has heard from Augustana, UW-La Crosse, and UW-Oshkosh – where he visited in February in-between his All-Conference ’22-’23 basketball season with the Hawks. The 6’5 ballhawk is a rangy playmaker from the MOF, able to thoroughly defend and patrol from his hash, cover a ton of ground while reading the QB and the WRs route combos, and make great plays on the ball thanks to that height and his vertical ability when getting up in the air and high-pointing the rock. It also looks like Brightman can flip his hips, stick his foot in the ground and close quickly out of his breaks, and make 1-on-1 tackles in space. Of all the things he does well, I really like how he reads, reacts, triggers on, and plays the football when it’s in the air. With the combination of height, potential frame, production, and ball skills, I’d be ALL OVER this kid if I was a college coach.
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James Flanigan James Flanigan 6'5" | 230 lbs | TE Green Bay Notre Dame | 2025 State WI (Notre Dame Academy) 2025. TE. @JamesFlanigan88
6’6, 225 lbs.
The Green Bay area has been an especially strong must-stop, hotbed of talent for high school football prospects and Notre Dame de la Baie Academy is home to one of the best 2025s in the state in 6’6, 225 lb. TE James Flanigan James Flanigan 6'5" | 230 lbs | TE Green Bay Notre Dame | 2025 State WI . After an uber-productive sophomore campaign in which Flanigan totaled 22 receptions for 520 yards and 9 TDs, 66 tackles, 7 TFLs, and 3 sacks, and a First Team All-Conference selection at TE, Conference Receiver of the Year, an All-Region TE nod, and a Second Team All-Conference pick at ILB. Everyone took notice, and once the season ended he picked up offers from Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Penn State, and Mizzou in what is a developing and promising recruitment. The first play of his sophomore tape is bonkers, as Flanigan uses his long legs and impressive speed to hawk down a loose ball carrier over 70 yards downfield (!) in a jaw-dropping display of speed for a player of his size. He even forces a fumble on the play, and although I’ve seen reps similar to that over my years of scouting, I can’t remember seeing a prospect do it at Flanigan’s size, making it one of the most impressive single reps I’ve ever seen from a recruit. I’m not kidding! Besides the outstanding speed, Flanigan is a devastating, powerful, and motivated blocker both in space or around the LOS, is an instinctive LB with some thump in his pads, and possesses soft hands, balance, and a ton of juice after the catch that can break tackles and stay upright very well for a young buck of his size. Flanigan is dynamic, looks like an elite athlete on tape, and is very fun to watch on both sides of the ball. He’s a future blue-chipper, and Wisconsin made an excellent choice in offering the in-state product first. The sky is the limit for this stud.
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Matthew Malvitz Matthew Malvitz 6'6" | 240 lbs | OL Southern Door | 2024 State WI (Southern Door) 2024. OL/DL/TE. @MalvitzMatthew
6’6, 220
Southern Door has put out some big boys over the years, and 2024 lineman Matthew Malvitz Matthew Malvitz 6'6" | 240 lbs | OL Southern Door | 2024 State WI is no exception, measuring in at 6’6, 220 and earning an Packerland Conference HM nod in their postseason awards. The TE shows off noticeable length, comfortability and success as a zone blocker and in pas protection, and some solid strength that halts opponents in their tracks when he puts his hands on them. He’s also consistent in his technique, tough at the point of attack, and is a natural at using his length and body positioning to take opponents out of the play in a variety of different ways. If Malvitz can continue to add weight and strength he’s going to be a very popular recruit, as blocking TEs with his skillset and mentality are hard to come by. Also is slippery at avoiding blocks from his DE spot! No reported recruiting interest or offers as of right now.
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Sebastian Luevano Sebastian Luevano 6'6" | 255 lbs | OL Franklin | 2024 State WI (Franklin) 2024. OL. @LuevanoSeb
6’6, 240
6’6, 240 lb. Franklin High School OT Sebastian Luevano Sebastian Luevano 6'6" | 255 lbs | OL Franklin | 2024 State WI has visited the likes of St. Thomas and Northern Iowa this offseason and has also heard from NDSU, Minnesota-Duluth, South Dakota State, Upper Iowa, and Northern State. With long arms and active hands, Luevano held down the Sabers‘ LT spot and did a good job of working laterally to seal or set the edge of the LOS, breaking down and blocking smaller opponents in space, and continuing his leg drive once he’s engaged with a defender. If he has been working hard and adding strength in the weight room this offseason, he’ll be a force to reckoned with as a senior.
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Alex Warden Alex Warden 6'5" | 245 lbs | OL Bay Port | 2025 State WI (Bay Port) 2025. OL. @WardenAlexj
6’6, 220
A three-sport standout at Bay Port out of the loaded Green Bay area, rising junior Alex Warden Alex Warden 6'5" | 245 lbs | OL Bay Port | 2025 State WI was a First Team All-Conference wrestler this season and can squat over 400 pounds going into the all-important summer camp grind. No film yet, but with the size, strength, and wrestling background, you have the makings of a beast of a Badger State Tall Boy hoping to make his mark as a recruit and football player. Bay Port is loaded right now.
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