Wisconsin recruiting: Updates on Badgers commits Mohamed Barry, Austin Kafentzis; new offer out to Jay Irvine

So, if you think the bye week isn't a place for the Wisconsin Badgers to have some big recruiting news, you're wrong. It's a week for coaches to go out and see what's going on with their commits and throw out some new offers along the way. Of course, recruiting is like a roller coaster, and for every "holy crap Austin Kafentzis accounted for 10 touchdowns this week," there's also reason to worry.

Let's be honest: If there's recruiting news, there's always potential recruiting bad news.

Austin Kafentzis: There was a massive game in Utah high school sports on Wednesday. Kafentzis' Jordan took on Brighton. If you were paying attention, that's Kafentzis vs. fellow Wisconsin target Osa Masina. Masina's team did end up getting the win, but Kafentzis did everything humanly possible change that: 494 yards passing, 196 yards rushing and I wasn't kidding with the 10 touchdowns. The final score? Brighton 78, Jordan 76.

Mohamed Barry: The UW linebacker commit isn't coming this weekend, which happens. Visits get rescheduled all the time. But as social media sometimes goes, there seems to be some kind of subtext coming.

Oct. 25 visits to Madison has bin canceled

— Mohamed Barry (@BarrySwavey) October 15, 2014

Not my choice, but my fault

— Mohamed Barry (@BarrySwavey) October 15, 2014

I didn't cancel it it just couldn't happen.

— Mohamed Barry (@BarrySwavey) October 15, 2014

So there's reason to believe something happened that makes it possible the three-star commitment might not be coming to Wisconsin after all. Add in 247Sports' Evan Flood flipping his Crystal Ball prediction for Barry to Kansas State and it seems like there's a chance another prospect just got burned by academic mishagoes. At the very least, it does before I make you read this tweet.

@PDCBiRd MOST DEFFF

— Mohamed Barry (@BarrySwavey) October 17, 2014

The Badgers haven't lost Barry's commitment yet. Sure, there's a possibility that sometime in early November they do. But Barry hasn't lost his spot, and while there's a definite possibility that he goes to Kansas State and joins Duke Shelley in a future Bill Snyder defense, there's absolutely no reason to lose hope quite yet.

Brian Cole: Apparently, it might be time for the more exuberant among you to get your hopes up. The four-star Saginaw (Heritage), Mich., prospect is getting a pitch to step in and be the next superstar running back. He visited for the Illinois game, and you know the one thing that worked so well in the Illinois game was the running. You're looking at someone who's wavering from a Michigan commit, and it's one of those things where Cole's the sort of athlete who could work at multiple positions. He would be a receiver in Ann Arbor, but the Badgers have more than a puncher's chance.

At the very least, the Badgers are going to find out what happens with Brian Cole long before signing day -- he's planning on enrolling early.

Ke'Shawn Vaughn: The sad fact is that the Badgers may have charged in too late for the Red Mamba. He's been offered by Ohio State, and he doesn't have a planned visit to Wisconsin. The four-star running back prospect seems to have left the Badgers on the outside looking in.

Elu Aydon: It's often been a sort of "three to make one" situation for the Badgers in terms of the nose tackle position in this 3-4 defense. It's always seemed to be either Aydon or Olive Sagapolu to fill out the defensive line, but, they're both planning visits for Oct. 25, and barring something weird, Aydon is coming. Considering how the depth problems of the defensive line have been laid bare in the first six games, the considerations that there was one last spot on the defensive line seems to have changed. Wisconsin could well take them both; after all, the Badgers currently stand with eight defensive linemen for 2015 if they hold their commitments. Nate Howard could well double back to outside linebacker if the uncertainty with Barry leads to the Badgers losing out on his commitment. So if you see the Badgers getting two defensive tackle commits, don't panic. It's a good thing.

New offer

ATH Jay Irvine
6'1, 185 lbs.
Sandalwood, Fla.

The Badgers always go and find no stone unturned on the recruiting trail; this recent offer is definitely one of those prospects who doesn't have the offer list that will make people excited. Irvine's currently committed to Florida A&M and holds offers form Idaho and South Dakota State. He also has a reported 4.48-second 40-yard dash time and a frame that would allow him to conveniently fit on offense or defense, though considering where Wisconsin's troubles have been, expect him to play offense if the Badgers get the flip.

Why? Because while the camerawork on his Hudl profile is a little shaky, he's a prospect that can come out and grab the ball at its highest point and catch with his hands. Would there be an adjustment period? Perhaps, but he's definitely a little sleeper-ish.

Diamond Stone corner

If you were among those who was worried that Duke was going to get this superstar center because Wisconsin can never have nice things, I'm afraid I have some good news.

Dominican's Diamond Stone confirmed tonight that Duke is no longer on his list of schools. It's down to WI, UConn, OK State and Maryland.

— Mark Miller (@WisBBYearbook) October 17, 2014

Duke is gone. Oklahoma State and Maryland will have their opportunities to close the gap, but the top four feels like a top two right now. It's Wisconsin. It's UConn. The expectation is that the decision will be made Nov. 12. The Badgers have a good chance. Maybe even the inside track.

The last piece of news? He's coming for the Maryland game.

@Mike_Hubes next week

— All Eyes On Me (@Diamond_Stone33) October 17, 2014

So, yeah. This next weekend is going to have all sorts of implications.