Wisconsin football recruiting: Updates on Bryce Youngquist, new offers

We're getting close to camp time and a time when we're going to see an uptick in the unofficial visits in the pre-summer practice, post-school year part of the recruiting cycle. I mean, that's just science -- and while there have been moments of doubt and possibly flawed execution, the train keeps moving.

Updates on existing offers

OLB Bryce Youngquist: When the Badgers made an offer to the high 4-star Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. (Los Osos) prospect, it didn't take a genius to see that a visit to Madison would be integral for the Badgers to have a chance here. Well, it looks like the Badgers have a chance to make a move with Youngquist as he plans on visiting Wisconsin sometime in early June ($). He's definitely a prospect at the top of the Badgers board at outside linebacker, with legitimate sub 4.5 40-yard speed off the edge.

It goes without saying that the best case scenario for the Badgers would be if they can somehow coincide Youngquist's time on campus with running back commit Antonio Williams, who will be on campus from June 9 to June 11. But if they can't, they're still getting a prospect to travel 2,000 miles away on his family's own dime to see the campus. This is not a small thing. Outside linebackers coach Tim Tibesar deserves a lot of credit here.

New offers

There's no need to go ultra deep on the offers, but I will give you the five offers that are hitting me as offers to follow up on.

DE/OLB Pookie Maka: I mean, come on. You didn't think I wasn't going to talk up the three-star prospect from Woods Cross, Utah? I mean really, Tangilanu "Pookie" Maka is going to be among the best of the names the Badgers have offered in a bumper crop for names. And he does have the game to get the crowd chanting with his skill on the pass rush. That said, while Maka is growing in esteem, BYU does have a lead here. And a higher class of Pac-12 school is beginning to notice Pookie for more than a well used nickname.

Excited and blessed to know I have received my 11th offer from Arizona State University #Sundevils pic.twitter.com/4pktvPry3x

— Tangilanu T Maka (@maka_pookie) May 11, 2015

CB Joshua Dunn: There's been another offer blast in the secondary over the past couple of days, and one of my favorites is this three-star prospect from Sarasota, Fla. Lake Wales) who received an offer from the Badgers Monday night. He's got a pretty good offer list as Cincinnati, Georgia, Kentucky, and Michigan State are among the finest non-Wisconsin offers -- and to put it simply -- he's got a Hudl profile that's just a paragon of versatile skills. He's a cornerback who can pass rush off the edge and that's really cool. Depending on the Badgers effort, they can get themselves a real fun prospect here.

OG Michael Alves: There's never going to be any sort of complaint going out and offering a prospect that hangs around the fringes of the four-star plateau and seeing what might happen. Sure, it looks like Wisconsin is going to trail Michigan in the race for Boulder, Colo. defensive end Carlo Kemp,  but it might lead them into contention with Alves.

Alves is a 6'5, 320 pound guard from San Diego (St. Augustine), Calif., and he's a real powerful dude in space.  It's a fun Hudl Profile as you see him agile enough to do some quality pulling, and he can put some defenders on skates. As an offer sheet goes, it's surprisingly sparse. Not to say the offers aren't quality, as Arizona State, Boston College, Oregon State, San Diego State, Vanderbilt, and Washington join the Badgers. A visit plus the reputation for getting linemen into the NFL could put the Badgers in the lead here.

WR Brandon Benson: The triangle numbers alone are reason enough to be interesting here. The three-star receiver from Waco (La Vega), Texas is listed at 6'3 180 pounds and has been timed at 4.47 in his 40-yard dash. He was another one of the Monday offers, and on offer sheet alone, the Badgers contend (though an offer from Texas Tech is never not interesting for a receiver). Benson has good feet and has a burst to top speed quickly. He makes some spectacular catches for some big gains too. He's definitely under the radar, and it would definitely be a good day if he committed to the Badgers.

FS/CB Ian Peterson: I battled between putting the three-star cornerback from Temecula, Calif. (Linfield Christian) Lorenzo Burns Jr. here instead of Peterson, but the difference here is that Peterson's top end speed is just more explosive. The three-star prospect from Round Rock, Tex. (Cedar Ridge) has a reported 4.35 40-yard dash and has a sub 10.50 time in the hundred meter dash to his name. And honestly, he's got a physicality that gets amplified because he can close.

Wisconsin offered on May 11, but the offer sheet is eminently beatable, as Kansas, Houston, and Toledo are the best offers. Obviously, if the Texas schools begin to notice, this becomes a whole new kettle of fish -- but he's absolutely a sleeper who could help out at two positions.

There are definitely some good, interesting, and future prospects that I haven't mentioned. For all the buzz that has been in year one of Paul Chryst: Recruiter Man, the class still has a national bent, and they definitely aren't making bad wagers on people because they're in state prospects. It's still early, but even beyond Cycoby Burch, a commit run is coming. I just have that feeling.