Wisconsin football recruiting: Badgers interested in JUCO prospect; updates on visits, new offers

Another week of evaluation, and there's another set of Wisconsin offers rolling out for the would-be class of 2016. It's been another busy week, so let's preview a bunch of names. Some will likely never be uttered on this blogsite dot com again, but some?

Some are the future.

Unofficial Visits

OG Kayden Lyles
6'3, 290 lbs.
Scottsdale, Ariz. (Saguaro)

As it stood, the reports of Karé Lyles visiting Madison were without Kare's brother, Kayden, a top guard for 2017. This has been rectified -- the Badgers will get an unofficial visit ($) from the highly touted offensive lineman. He plays guard for Saguaro, but could move into other positions.

WR/TE Ben Skowronek
6'3, 195 lbs.
Fort Wayne, Ind. (Homestead)

This three-star prospect had a big junior year in Fort Wayne, finishing with about 20 yards per catch. He's going to be in Madison this weekend. He seems a little bit of a tweener, as his Hudl profile shows a reported 4.62 40-yard dash time. It also shows a prospect who can split the seams and catch with the hands.

Currently, he has offers from most of the Mid-American Conference as well as Cincinnati, Indiana and Iowa. If the Badgers offer, they could get in quickly.

Offer List Lightning Round

LB Reggie McGee: Yes, another junior-college prospect.

Despite the losses of Dominic Sheppard and Jordan Griffin from the class of 2015, the Badgers ended up getting a linebacker class that was strong in terms of depth. But while the class is five deep, between the position switches and the development time, a bridge might be needed.

Enter Reggie McGee. A one-time Houston commit, the Olney, Md., native ultimately went west to Hartnell College in Salinas, Calif. Looking at his Hudl profile, you can see why the Badgers would dare test the crucible of getting a junior-college player on the roster. He has the instincts to hang on and not get beaten up by the zone read, and as he shows the ability to hand-fight blockers -- and with his pursuit skills -- he has a skill set that fits with the Dave Aranda defense.

Of course, while the Badgers have the space available to bring in McGee, the Larry Millers in the admissions office have precluded them from formally offering. If Wisconsin does offer, look for the class of 2015 to grow by one.

I become a Badger

— Regg (@FINAO_regg4) February 25, 2015

Scooter Harrington: I know what you're thinking: what exactly are the Badgers doing going into Connecticut? Harrington, a three-star tight end from Greenwich, Conn., is 247Sports' No. 3 prospect in the WWE state. He has soft hands and shown the ability to make some circus catches. That said, he's a Boston College legacy who committed to Boston College last weekend. It's going to be tough for Wisconsin to gain traction here.

Amir Rasul: Are you sitting down? You might want to sit down. Why? Because Amir Rasul is a three-star running back from Coral Gables, Fla. Sure he's a Miami commit, but he's a running back with an offer aaaah.

First of all, relax. I apologize for getting you in a tizzy. Antonio Williams is the top priority, but that said, Rasul is really good. He has that explosive speed that makes it worth Wisconsin looking to see if there's a possibility of him flipping.

Rasul's offer list is growing, as Florida State and Georgia offered the week before Wisconsin. That's not to say the Badgers can't gain traction here, especially if theu need to make a push. Rasul's gonna be a good back for somebody, wherever he lands.

Bryce Youngquist: Youngquist is a four-star outside linebacker who has had himself a good week. Along with Wisconsin, he received offers from Oklahoma, Oregon and USC. Why? Because Youngquist is explosive off the corner and had a big camp in Las Vegas. His Hudl profile lists a 4.37 40-yard dash, and while that might be a stretch, he definitely has speed and will thump a sucker. The Badgers aren't going to give up without a fight here, but a visit would be integral to their chances.

Brenton Nelson: It's been proven that with enough time and space, recruiting rankings absolutely matter. Sure, the Badgers have shown themselves to be some Gladwellesque outlier, but the science favors the star people. Why am I leading with star rankings here? Because Nelson, a three-star cornerback from Hyattsville, Md., shows there are some pretty fallacious trees in the forest of star rankings.

Last November, Nelson was 247Sports' No. 9 cornerback and No. 16 prospect in the state of Florida. Now, he's the 54th ranked cornerback and No. 15 in the state of Maryland. What changed? He moved to the Washington D.C. area from Winter Springs, Fla. That's pretty much it.

So making an offer during this weird transition period for Nelson definitely gives Wisconsin a chance for this DeMatha Catholic cornerback. Though as it stands, Nelson has a top two of Michigan State and Kentucky.

Jake Saunders: A three-star defensive tackle from Loveland, Ohio, might seem like someone who's solely a lunchpail type of kid. Sure, you could say that, if you're lazy. There are some real interesting skills here. He's 6'3, 280 lbs., and has the ability to pursue laterally. In fact, Loveland schemed this defensive tackle as an inside linebacker on certain downs.

It's likely that Saunders will slide in as a 3-4 defensive end with that skill set. On offer sheet alone, Wisconsin seems in a good spot having to contend with Boston College, Illinois, Northwestern, Pittsburgh and Wake Forest. We'll see if it leads to a commitment.

Aaron Hansford: This three-star athlete from St. John's College in Washington D.C., is always going to remember the day he was offered by Wisconsin. Why? It was on his birthday.

Hansford is a 6'2 prospect with a sub-4.5 40-yard dash who could slot in at multiple positions. Never a bad thing.

That said, he holds offers from Duke and Maryland. There's a chance Wisconsin could close, but it's early and the home-territory offer is always going to be difficult to overcome.

Keith Corbin: Here's another Ted Gilmore offer where the matter of contention is based on just how committable some offers are. Corbin, a three-star receiver from Beaumont, Texas, currently holds offers from Ole Miss and TCU. He's a big (6'2) physical receiver who won a lot of 50-50 balls shown in his Hudl tape. Corbin also holds offers from SMU and Texas Tech, so it would definitely be a good pull to get Corbin to come to Wisconsin.

Zechariah McPhearson: A 6'1 cornerback with a sub-4.5 40-yard dash is definitely going to be a hot prospect, and the three-star talent from Upper Marlboro, Md., has some good offers already (Clemson, Michigan State and Ohio State, in addition to Wisconsin). Looking at his Hudl profile, you can see why. He's definitely a fluid athlete and has the skills to be a strong cover corner who could definitely see the field from jump street if the Badgers land him.

McPhearson is a two-sport athlete who would like to play baseball in college ($). Does this mean the Badgers are out of the race? Not exactly. Sure, he has some quality offers. Sure, Wisconsin doesn't have a baseball program. But in the completely flat, circular nature of recruiting, the Badgers have an in because of the quality of a planned major. It hurt them with Jordan Griffin and his wishes to be a doctor, but the Badgers have a quality commercial real estate major, and McPhearson is interested in commercial real estate when his football career is over ($). It might not be much, but it's something. As it's early for these prospects, something is a good thing.

Austin Mack: A four-star wide receiver from Fort Wayne, Ind. (Bishop Luers), Mack's offer from Wisconsin was reported on Friday. 247Sports ranks Mack the No. 20 wide receiver for 2016, and he has offers from Notre Dame and Ohio State (his perceived leaders), as well as Cincinnati, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Virginia Tech and others. As a junior, Mack caught 69 passes for 1,062 yards and 15 touchdowns. He will visit Notre Dame next month.