Wisconsin recruiting: MSU game visitor roundup

Recruiting is the lifeblood of any major college athletics team, but following it closely as a fan can sometimes be difficult and can often be time consuming. We’ll try and condense all the recruiting news you can use into this bi-weekly post. It’ll include updates on current commits as well as news on players the Badgers are still pursuing. Let’s get down to business!

Here is the list of visitors for the Michigan State game that we could find on Twitter.

Football

• Unranked 2022 RB Josh Dornink took in the Badgers win over Michigan State on Saturday. The Aurora, Ill. native has already received interest from Iowa, Northern Illinois, Central Michigan, Western Michigan and Illinois State.

He also got to meet Joe Thomas!

• Wisconsin’s top QB target in the 2022 class, Gilbert (Queen Creek), Ariz. native Devin Brown, was back in Madison to take in the sights and sounds of game day. Brown already holds an offer from the Badgers and has been recruited heavily by Jon Budmayr.

According to Rivals, Brown is receiving interest from Notre Dame, Washington, Oregon, Iowa State, Indiana, SMU, BYU, Oregon State and Rice. Since the Badgers already have their QB for the 2021 class, they can spend all of their recruiting energy on getting Brown locked up early as well.

• JaVaughn Byrd, a 2021 safety from Milwaukee (Rufus King), made the short drive over to Madison for the game this past weekend. He has interest from Northern Illinois as well.

• The biggest visitor for the football team over the weekend was 4-star Atlanta (Carver), Ga. RB Jo’Quavious Marks. We already wrote all about him here, and the current Mississippi State commit, by all accounts, enjoyed his time in Madison.

What does that all mean for 247 Composite No. 147 player in the country? Well, who knows to be honest, but the Badgers probably gave Marks a lot to think about on his way home to Georgia.

• The best OT in the 2022 class, and No. 58 player overall, 4-star Whitefish Bay native Joe Brunner was in Madison for the game. Brunner, who judging by his picture next to Joe Thomas clearly has the size to play offensive line in the B1G, has already received an offer from UW and is considered a strong lean to the Badgers. Iowa and NIU have also sent offers his way.

• Tyler Bittman of Hartland (Arrowhead) came down for the game. I cannot find any information on him from either of the two main recruiting sites, nor the Kohl’s Kicking site (since it would appear that he is being recruited as a specialist).

There are videos of him kicking touchbacks for Arrowhead if you care to search for them, but they are exactly what I described them as and unless you are a kickoff specialist form evaluator...you may not get too much out of the clips.

• 2021 LB/FB prospect Corban Hondru of McMurray (Peters Township), Pa. is currently unranked by Rivals, but he already has offers from Akron and Dartmouth. He’s also receiving interest from Pitt, Northwestern, Cincinnati and West Virginia.

Here is a brief breakdown of his game from PennLive.

• Despite already having a QB in their 2021 class, the Badgers appear to be keeping their options open at the position. Grand Rapids (East Kentwood), Mich. QB Branden Miller took a visit to Madison to see Michigan State lose.

Miller has great size, at 6-foot-4, for a QB and also shows good mobility in his Hudl video. He is also receiving interest from Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, Central Michigan and Western Michigan.

Basketball

• 247 Composite 2021 4-star C Logan Duncomb was on campus to check out the football game as well as the Red/White Scrimmage on Sunday. The Cincinnati (Archbishop Moeller), Ohio native is high on the list of Greg Gard’s remaining targets.

Duncomb is being recruited by a host of teams, but the Badgers, Indiana, Iowa and Ohio State are considered to be the four frontrunners. He also holds offers from the hometown Bearcats and Xavier.

He is rated as the No. 124 player in the country by the 247 Composite and the No. 16 center. At 6-foot-9 and 225 pounds he may project as more of a power forward in Wisconsin’s offense, but the mobile big man would be a good get for the Badgers regardless of where he ends up playing.

Wisconsin has two spots left in their 2021 class, and probably only one for a big man. Washington state native and 4-star big Jackson Grant was recently on campus as well and the Badgers would love to lock down one of them for that spot.

• If neither of the two big men listed above pick the Badgers, there are a pair of intriguing in-state options that could snag that spot in the 2021 class. 6-foot-7 PF Cade Meyer from Monroe is an athletic wing that has been on the Badgers radar for some time now. He has offers from Green Bay and Milwaukee, but is probably holding out on committing in case UW sends an offer his way.

Another prospect that isn’t as nationally renowned but is certainly not merely a consolation pickup is Brookfield (Central) forward David Joplin. Joplin has offers from Green Bay and Milwaukee as well but he also holds a pair from DePaul and UNLV. Iowa and Wisconsin are both interested in the member of the defending Division 1 state champs.