Which uncommitted prospects are visiting Wisconsin this weekend? (2024)

MADISON, Wis. — On the first weekend of official visit season last June, Luke Fickell and his staff brought 10 uncommitted high school prospects to campus in an all-out push to gain their pledges to Wisconsin’s program. For three days, recruits participated in meetings, player panels and photo shoots, relaxed in a boat on Lake Mendota, ate plenty of good food and even spent time playing laser tag.

It was a lot of pomp and circ*mstance. It proved well worth the effort.

Six of those 10 uncommitted prospects eventually signed with Wisconsin in the 2024 class. In total, 13 of the Badgers’ 22 signees committed around last June’s official visits.

Wisconsin has yet another impressive crop of players this time around with the start of official visits for the 2025 class set for Friday. The Badgers have 11 committed players in the class, which should fill out significantly over the next month. Five of the 11 commits — safety Jaimier Scott (Cincinnati), wide receiver Cameron Miller (Atco, N.J.), outside linebacker Samuel Lateju (Lawrenceville, N.J.), inside linebacker Cooper Catalano (Germantown, Wis.) and offensive lineman Michael Roeske (Wautoma, Wis.) — will take their official visits this weekend.

Here’s a look at the 10 uncommitted prospects visiting this weekend. All rankings are per the 247Sports Composite.

OL Nolan Davenport

6 feet 6, 268 pounds, Washington (Massillon, Ohio)

Three-star, No. 46 offensive tackle

Davenport is a player whom Wisconsin offensive line coach A.J. Blazek offered while at Vanderbilt. Davenport has accumulated a scholarship offer list that exceeds 30 programs and has four official visits set for Wisconsin, Penn State, Michigan State and Missouri. Davenport played tight end as a sophom*ore before gaining roughly 50 pounds to develop into a coveted offensive line prospect. Wisconsin has commitments thus far from a pair of 6-7 tackles in Roeske and Cam Clark (Dexter, Mich.).

TE Nizyi Davis

6-4, 215 pounds, Lawrence Central (Indianapolis)

Three-star, No. 36 tight end

Davis’ athleticism and versatility pop on his junior season film, showcasing some of his basketball background. He can line up out wide or from a more traditional tight end spot and causes mismatches for defenses because of his speed and leaping ability. In that way, Wisconsin views him as a player who compares to a Jackson McGohan type. Davis possesses some nastiness as a blocker and can put opponents on their backs. He is expected to take official visits to Wisconsin, Louisville, Kansas and Purdue.

OLB Jayden Loftin

6-4, 240 pounds, Somerville (N.J.)

Three-star, No. 45 edge

Wisconsin offered Loftin a scholarship in March and made enough inroads during the next two months to secure an official visit and nudge out other programs, including West Virginia and Minnesota, whom Loftin previously scheduled for official visits. Loftin’s official visit list features Wisconsin, Tennessee, Nebraska and Penn State. Though Wisconsin isn’t likely to end up with Loftin and four-star outside linebacker Jayden Woods, the Badgers would do well to earn a commitment from one of them.

DL Kade Pietrzak

6-4, 240 pounds, West Fargo (North Dakota)

Four-star, No. 36 defensive lineman

Wisconsin has recruited well in recent classes to snag some talented defensive linemen. Can the Badgers do it again with Pietrzak? He released a top four earlier this month of Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Kansas State. Wisconsin offered him in October, though it is believed Oklahoma might be in the lead for his recruitment at this stage.

LB Mason Posa

6-3, 210 pounds, La Cueva (Albuquerque, N.M.)

Four-star, No. 33 linebacker

Posa, a three-time New Mexico state wrestling champion, might be as coveted as any uncommitted player Wisconsin has visiting this weekend. He was a menace as a junior last season when he recorded 99 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Posa was in Madison earlier this month for the team’s final spring practice and has official visits set for Wisconsin, Oregon and Texas A&M.

CB Tre Poteat

6-1, 175 pounds, Verona (Wis.)

Three-star, No. 44 cornerback

Poteat’s dad, Hank, was Wisconsin’s cornerbacks coach for two seasons before the Badgers underwent a coaching transition. Hank Poteat is now at Iowa State, but Tre is finishing his high school career in Verona. Wisconsin’s new staff has done a solid job of continuing to recruit Poteat, who finished his junior season with 76 tackles and three interceptions. But the program to watch here is Tennessee, which has secured an official visit from Poteat the weekend of June 21 and doesn’t come with the same type of baggage Wisconsin does given how his dad’s tenure ended there.

OL Logan Powell

6-4, 280 pounds, Brophy College Prep (Phoenix)

Three-star, No. 41 offensive tackle

Powell, who projects as a guard for the Badgers, will visit Wisconsin for the first time this weekend. He has three official visits lined up for Wisconsin, Alabama and Arizona. It will take a lot for Wisconsin to win this recruitment, in part because Powell’s older brother, Tyler, is a tight end at Arizona. His dad, Jeremy, is a pitching coach for the Miami Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate in Jacksonville, Fla.

CB Rukeem Stroud

5-11, 160 pounds, Tampa Bay Tech (Tampa, Fla.)

Three-star, No. 35 cornerback

Stroud took an unofficial visit to Wisconsin for the end of spring practice, and the Badgers appear to have put themselves in a good position for him. He will be deciding between Wisconsin and South Florida. Stroud finished his junior season with 18 tackles, 17 pass breakups and six interceptions.

WR Muizz Tounkara

6-4, 195 pounds, Clear Springs (League City, Texas)

Three-star, No. 102 wide receiver

Wisconsin didn’t offer a scholarship to Tounkara until May 17 but impressed him enough to secure an official visit. Tounkara has a bigger frame and is viewed as someone who could give the Badgers a downfield threat on the outside. His recruitment has only begun to heat up in recent months.

Tounkara has four official visits set for Wisconsin, Kansas, Arizona and Arkansas. None of those programs offered him before this month. Wisconsin’s only receiver committed in the 2025 class is Miller, who will play in the slot.

OLB Jayden Woods

6-3, 240 pounds, Mill Valley (Shawnee, Kan.)

Four-star, No. 18 edge

Woods is an explosive stand-up edge rusher who would represent a major recruiting victory for Wisconsin. He visited for one of Wisconsin’s junior days and came away impressed with the program following meetings with Fickell and outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell. He also took a facilities tour with defensive graduate assistant Tuf Borland and saw a presentation with strength and conditioning coach Brady Collins.

Woods finished his junior season with 71 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, seven sacks and eight pass breakups. Wisconsin views him as a “jack” linebacker, playing on the boundary side of the field. Woods said Wisconsin’s history of putting linebackers into the NFL was intriguing to him and cited the success of former Badgers outside linebacker Nick Herbig, who was a fourth-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers last year. Woods has official visits set for Wisconsin, Penn State, Purdue and Tennessee.

(Top photo of Luke Fickell: John Fisher / Getty Images)

Jesse Temple is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Wisconsin Badgers. He has covered the Badgers beat since 2011 and previously worked for FOX Sports Wisconsin, ESPN.com and Land of 10. Follow Jesse on Twitter @jessetemple