Madison- Area Deep Dive Steals and Names to Know

We aren't done with the Madison and surrounding area deep dive quite yet. While coming up with our list of athletes that need to be on college radars it quickly became apparent that this was going to take a couple articles to cover all the talent available. Today's group is another strong group of 10 athletes with the talent to play at the D2/D3 levels. Check out what we got from the tape of each athlete, and make sure to check out the Hudl for yourselves. It will be linked with each athlete. Let's dive in!    We start things off with a talented safety who has been producing for Middleton the past two seasons. [player_tooltip player_id='948125' first='Oliver' last='Wenning'] is a 5'10" 185 lbs safety that flashes all over the field. He made 72 tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 FF, and 3 INTs along with 12 PBUs in 2024. The film matches the stat line. Oliver is a kid that makes plays all over the field. He will aggressively, and quickly attack downhill when he reads run and make hard- hitting tackles. You can ask him to sit back deep in a zone over the top, read, and close on the ball in time to break up passes. The junior also has several highlights of him being in the right place at the right time. Oliver has a nose for the ball and an IQ necessary for the safety position.      Two seasons ago we saw Colin more at the safety position, but this past year Colin dropped down to an LB role. The 5'10" 185 lbs played like he belonged there, proving that he has a future in a nickel or hybrid OLB/S role at the next level. In his first year at LB Colin finished as an All-Region selection while putting up 68 tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 Sack, 1 INT, 1 FF, and 1 FR. Colin's athleticism profile is outstanding for the position. He is able to fly around the front seven while avoiding blocks. Or he is sprinting out to the flats to cover a receiver, TE ,or RB. The range is everything you need at the LB position. Colin is a dominant tackler as well. The junior runs through opponents, instantly putting them on their backs and allowing no forward progression after contact. Hablewitz is a fun chess piece for a DC at the next level.      This fall it will be Cole's time at the helm for Waunakee's offense. He spent 2024 as the varsity backup, putting up 16/26, 243 yards, and 2 TDs through limited action over 5 games. While Cole doesn't have a ton of highlights to watch, there is plenty of talent displayed to make coaches want to have him on their radars. Cole doesn't hesitate to push the ball downfield. He has a solid arm that put enough velocity on the ball to beat safeties deep downfield. He also demonstrated accuracy to every level of the field and from within the pocket or while on the run. I'm preparing to watch a breakout senior season from the Waunakee QB. Don't miss out on this kid.      Hudson is one of the top producers returning to the Sun Prairie East defense in 2025. While playing off the edge, Hudson finished 2024 with 34 tackles, 4 TFLs, and 2 sacks. The '26 edge defender has the frame to stay on the edge at 6'3" 225 lbs. You have to love the technique that Turek plays with in the trenches. The junior always got hands in great position and then had the strength to create and keep separation from OTs so that he could make a move to beat the block with the space he created. The junior also did well setting the edge against the run. He took on blocks, forced the ball back inside, and even made quite a few tackles on the edge himself. I'm excited to see the '26 edge take the next step.      Jake is another intriguing defensive prospect from the Madison area. He played all over the front seven as a junior. From nose tackle to DE and every LB position throughout the season. While doing that, Jake piled up 57 tackles, 13 TFLs, 2 sacks, and 3 FFs. At 6'4" 205 lbs the junior has the frame to build on and develop into a full time player at LB or in the trenches. Jake dominates with his quickness and hand use. Over and over you see him make OL whiff on their punches with his lateral agility, and also use pass rush moves to quickly get to the heels of the OL. The '26 has the size, length, and athleticism that will find him a home in the front seven at the next level.      Another athlete in today's article that is poised for a breakout senior season is DeForest's Collin Passkey. In 2024 Collin saw limited time at WR where he posted 7 receptions for 182 yards and a TD. However, he did carve out a role as the team's kick and punt returner. Despite the limited reps, Collin proved to be a big play threat. The speed was on display plenty as he quickly got to open grass and turned short passes into big chunk plays on offense. When Collin gets rolling he is hard to slow down. As a returner he only needs a glimpse of daylight to flip the field and forces opposing teams to stay in their lanes or he will make them pay. Collin clearly has the size and speed for the WR position and a knack for creating the big play. The breakout year is loading. Get this kid on your radars today.      The starting left tackle for Sun Prairie West is an OL to keep tabs on this summer at camps. He has the frame for the next level at 6'4" 285 lbs. The junior also clearly has the overwhelming power required to continue playing at the next level. Throughout his highlights you see him bully DL in the run game, washing them down the line with ease. Blake also has some flashes of solid range to be able to get out in space or run horizontally while engaged with a defender. It will be interesting to see how he does in pass pro scenarios as he doesn't have a ton of it on tape. The junior OT is definitely well worth keeping tabs on.      RB1 for Stoughton returns to the team in 2025 after a junior season where he finished with 185 carries, 792 yards, and 7 TDs. Plus he added 10 receptions for 76 yards. Logan is the type of runner who wears down a defense with his physical running while also getting stronger as the game goes on. The highlights give a great glimpse into it. Play after play shows his power and balance through contact to pile up the yards after contact. Logan does so well running behind his pads and being the one who delivers the contact to the defender. You never see the 185 lbs RB get taken down by the first defender. Check out the highlights.      The top two-way player in today's article is [player_tooltip player_id='1220691' first='Nolan' last='Rustler']. The 6'1" 210 lbs LB/TE/WR/RB did a bit of everything for Sun Prairie West in 2024. Primarily, he did his damage as a receiving option and an LB on defense. Nolan was second on the team in receptions and yards while leading the team in tackles on defense. On defense, Nolan is a quick processing LB. He can play on the edge and set a strong front vs the run. Or he can disengage and chase down the ball in space. Nolan also did well with his blitzing from ILB, showing he can bull rush an OL or time the snap and fly through the gap untouched. On offense Nolan plays with that same physicality after the catch or when blocking in the run game. The physical athlete plays with soft hands that can secure the catch through contact. Check out the highlights of the versatile athlete.      Blayze has limited production so far in his career, but the traits shown in his highlights are hard to overlook. The 5'8" 160 lbs WR shines in the slot and should put up a big year in 2025 following his 9/163/3 junior season. Blayze has plenty of long speed to be a big play threat, but is even more impressive when he can dominate with his quickness and agility. Caldwell has the body control and explosive acceleration to run sharp routes, especially in the short passing game where he can quickly open up space for his QB. Blayze also has shown he can use double moves to put DBs in bad leverage. The junior also plays DB for Sauk Prairie. Get ready for this kid to take a big step forward for Sauk Prairie in 2025.

We aren't done with the Madison and surrounding area deep dive quite yet. While coming up with our list of athletes that need to be on college radars it quickly became apparent that this was going to take a couple articles to cover all the talent available. Today's group is another strong group of 10 athletes with the talent to play at the D2/D3 levels. Check out what we got from the tape of each athlete, and make sure to check out the Hudl for yourselves. It will be linked with each athlete. Let's dive in!