Wisconsin football recruiting: Badgers make top 6 for CB K.J. Sails; visits update

K.J. Sails, a defensive back target the Wisconsin Badgers have been eyeing for some time now, cut down his list of potential schools to six on Friday and included Wisconsin.

Sails, a three-star 2016 defensive back from Gibsonton (East Bay), Fla., named Wisconsin along with Cincinnati, South Florida, Rutgers, Iowa and Pittsburg, noting the list was in no particular order and that his recruitment remains open.

Sails visited Madison in mid-July, sharing his enthusiasm afterward on Twitter with a photo of himself with Barry Alvarez (note Barry's awesome choice of footwear, as well). Sails also visited Iowa shortly thereafter and made a trip to South Florida back in March.

Here's my top 6 no order pic.twitter.com/TsoEu8Z5PQ

— KJ Sails Jr #9⃣ (@KJ2LiVE) August 7, 2015

Sails, a 5-11, 170-pound defensive back, holds the following ratings from scouting services -- as you can tell, he's considered a cornerback by some and a safety by others

• 247Sports (composite): Three stars, 85.96 rating, No. 622 player overall, No. 57 cornerback, No. 68 Florida
• 247Sports: Three stars, 89 rating, No. 368 overall, No. 37 cornerback, No. 47 Florida
• Rivals: Three stars, No. 50 safety, No. 84 Florida
• Scout: Three stars, 4.50-second 40-yard dash

According to multiple reports, Sails plans to take official visits to Iowa and Wisconsin this fall before making a decision most likely during the season.

Sails has been primarily recruited for Wisconsin by defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, and as he told BadgerBlitz.com last month, the staff has put a strong push on him.

"They need guys like me to step up and join the program."

"The visit to Wisconsin is definitely going to make my decision tough. It was a great visit and I really loved it there. The campus and atmosphere felt great. The coaches and the players really stood out to me; very welcoming."

As he discussed in a video interview with Scout.com's Corey Bender shortly after trimming his list to 10 schools last month, Bender has a relationship with Tampa (Robinson), Fla., defensive end Keldric Preston, who committed to Wisconsin on July 20. The two will play each other this season and are close, and a promise of early playing time at Wisconsin could bode well for the Badgers.

Another factor to consider: a Rivals.com report late last month said Sails plans to enroll early wherever he commits.

Check out Sails' junior highlights from Hudl below:

Notes

• Three-star Columbus (Walnut Ridge), Ohio, wide receiver Malik Harrison visited Wisconsin late last month and this week named the Badgers his leader, according to Scout.com. Harrison was hosted by two former high school teammates currently at Wisconsin, tight end Austin Traylor and wide receiver Robert Wheelwright. Harrison also has offers from Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan State, Pittsburgh and more.
• Three-star Suwanee (Peachtree Ridge), Ga., cornerback Baylen Buchanan visited Wisconsin earlier this week. Buchanan is considered a soft commit to Louisville, but has kept his recruitment since committing to the Cardinals in June. For more on the three-star corner's trip to Madison, check out reports on BadgerNation.com ($) and Badger247.com ($).
• Three-star Pittsburgh (Bashear) cornerback Therran Coleman visited Wisconsin earlier this week. Along with the Badgers, Pittsburgh and West Virginia are believed to be the leaders for Coleman, 247Sports's composite No. 48 cornerback. According to WVSports.com, the Badgers also talked to Coleman about playing receiver.
• Last week, South Florida commit Armunz Matthews visited Wisconsin ($). Matthews, 247Sports's composite No. 109 cornerback, recommitted to USF in June, but the Badgers have continued recruiting him. Indiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and South Carolina are also reportedly interested in Matthews.
• Three-star McKeesport, Pa., safety Khaleke Hudson previously said he would announce his commitment on Saturday, but has instead decided to extend his commitment.
• Four-star Los Angeles (Loyola) cornerback David Long committed to Stanford on Thursday. Wisconsin had offered Long, 247Sports' composite No. 7 cornerback.