Wisconsin football recruiting: Olive Sagapolu sticking with Badgers; Kraig Howe commitment near?

January has always been a time when the sand shifts and recruiting classes tend to reform into something else. Not necessarily worse. Not necessarily better. Just, something else.

With changes and newness come implications, and when you're in that part of the recruiting run, there's gonna be some stress.

But still, recruiting is a flat circle even if the joy you get from it can turn into a sine wave. In this latest Wisconsin update, there's definitely going to be some annoyance. There's also going to be joy.

Commit update

DT Olive Sagapolu

Wisconsin's defensive line might be the position that shifts the most in the transition to Paul Chryst. There have been questions about just when Elu Aydon and Nate Howard will flip, and as I'll explain further, that might not be all.

With that said, the Badgers do have one constant. The Santa Ana (Mater Dei), Calif., defensive tackle has cancelled his visit to Kansas State this weekend. Despite Sagapolu adding offers from Boise State, Illinois, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Oregon State, only disaster is going to keep the strong three-star nose tackle prospect from going to Madison.

Target updates

DT Kraig Howe

Howe has been put on commit alert over the weekend, and the three-star defensive line prospect has indeed officially locked in a visit to Madison.

Kettering (Ohio) Alter defensive lineman Kraig Howe could commit to the #Badgers this weekend ($) http://t.co/LgEeDU9Sdd

— Benjamin Worgull (@TheBadgerNation) January 20, 2015

Again, his game is similar to Wisconsin commit David Pfaff's, and he could slot in as a defensive end or tackle. On versatility alone, Howe is good value. He's probably going to slot in as a defensive end.

DE Jake Pickard

Michigan offered Pickard on Tuesday. He also locked in a visit for the Wolverines this weekend. You want to know how serious of a threat this is? This weekend, he was previously scheduled to visit Oregon. The trend line is that Jim Harbaugh ends up poaching the three-star defensive end prospect from Millburn, N.J. Michigan's been a bit of a dream school for Pickard ($), so be prepared.

OT Vincent Hughes

While Alec Ingold flipped to Wisconsin, the Franklin, Wis., offensive tackle will not be following suit as a grayshirt offer is not enough to get this Northern Illinois commit to come back over the border from DeKalb. Such is life.

LB Jake Whalen

While Hughes didn't take the grayshirt, Jake Whalen now has one to play fullback. That's going to get Whalen on campus for an official visit. Sure, he's visiting Iowa this weekend, but let's be honest: Wisconsin might have some cards left to play. Especially when you consider that LB commit Jordan Griffin is a prospect generating some late interest.

Just got off the phone with LSU

— Jordan Griffin (@HawkStar40) January 22, 2015

New offers

The Badgers threw out a late offer to Shawn Curtis, a three-star outside linebacker from Reagan Doral in Miami, Fla. But he had already visited Pittsburgh, and on Wednesday night, Pat Narduzzi landed a good prospect.

But, and you can read whatever subtext that you want out of this, the Badgers have made several moves toward shoring up the cornerback position. A couple are committed, and the uncommitted prospect might be committing before National Signing Day.

CB Jeremiah Dinson

6'0, 180 lbs.
Miami (American), Fla.

The Kentucky commit is wavering from his commitment, as he visited Florida last weekend. As it stands, Dinson's a good playmaker. He knows how to aggressively play the ball and closes very well, and tackles willingly. That being said, the Badgers have a gap to close and no open weekends for a visit with Dinson. He's scheduled to visit Auburn this weekend and Louisville next weekend.

CB Jarius Adams

5'11, 180 lbs.
Palm Beach Gardens (Dwyer), Fla.

Of the three cornerbacks who received recent offers from Wisconsin, Adams is the best fit for the position. Of course, this isn't a situation where the Badgers seem to have snuck away with an under-the-radar prospect, as there was an offer from Michigan made on Jan. 15, and the Wolverines will get a visit next week. He can flip his hips and cover well, but that being said, Wisconsin's going to either have to grab a mid-week visit or they're going to steal something big.

ATH Trenard Davis

6'0, 195 lbs.
Delray Beach (American Heritage Boca Delray), Fla.

If you're looking for the possibility of another late-game sleeper like Derrick Tindal was for Wisconsin last year, Trenard Davis might be your huckleberry. He's the Randall Cobb of Delray Beach. Davis' Hudl profile shows that he plays a dual-threat quarterback, and has the receiver skills that could make offense a real possibility. He's not as pure of a cornerback as the other late offers, but the Badgers look to get the closing visit here. This is likely a good thing.

just got an Offer from Wisconsin #Blessed #Badgers

— KingDavis7 (@trenarddavis7) January 21, 2015

Weekend visits

As it stands right now, the Badgers have two prospects that are coming up for the statistical anomaly of a January day that threatens 40 degrees. Unfortunately, one is not three-star Columbus, Ohio, linebacker Anthony McKee -- he committed to Pitt on Friday. That said, the Badgers have one big prospect and one solid prospect who should arrive on Friday, with Howe joining the crowd on Saturday.

S Arrington Farrar

6'2, 195 lbs.
Atlanta (Woodward Academy), Ga.

One of the good things that Gary Andersen did was pitch Madison as a destination spot for recruits. If you visited, the odds improved exponentially that you were going to commit. Yes, the Badgers are potentially going to have to fight a visit to Notre Dame on the weekend of Jan. 30 to get the four-star Atlanta product. But Thomas Brown got Farrar on campus, and that means the Badgers have a chance to score one more four-star talent before National Signing Day.

LB/FB Joshua Thomas

5'11, 200 lbs.
Buford, Ga.

It's a very Georgia visit weekend, as this three-star prospect and probable linebacking candidate from Buford is coming up for an official visit. The Badgers have been looking at him as a linebacker, but as shown in his Hudl profile, Buford does play a solid running back. As a linebacker, he's a perfect fit for the Badgers' defense. He's got a sideline-to-sideline agility and he hits hard. As it stands, the Badgers are in his top three, and we'll see the whats and wherefores from this move soon enough.