2020 LB Kaden Johnson commits and signs to and with Wisconsin

The linebackers in Wisconsin’s 2020 class were going to be a major positive as of Tuesday morning, Dec. 17th and then...Tuesday night there were rumblings. And the rumblings were that Minneapolis 4-star LB Kaden Johnson was going to pick the Badgers on Wednesday morning when Early Signing Day started.

Johnson is another in a long line of Wisconsin outside linebackers that could make a huge impact for the Badgers rushing off the edge. A duo of Johnson and fellow 4-star prospect Nick Herbig has to have Jim Leonhard salivating at the options.

Rankings

247 Composite: 4 stars; grade: .9304; No. 162 player in the nation; No. 14 OLB; No. 1 MN

247 Sports: 4 stars; grade: 91; No. 193 player in the nation; No. 14 OLB; No. 1 MN

Rivals: 4 stars; 5.9 rating; No. 135 nationally; No. 11 OLB; No. 1 MN

ESPN: 4 stars; Grade: 81; No. 21 OLB; No. 16 Regional; No. 1 MN; No. 234 in ESPN 300

Verbally committed on December 17th, 2019

Johnson played his recruitment pretty close to his vest. Before the season started it sounded like the Badgers and the hometown Minnesota Golden Gophers were the teams to beat for Johnson’s services. More recently, all of the hype and noise was centered on him wanting to play early and thus he was going to Nebraska.

However, late on Tuesday night there were rumblings that the Badgers had never really gone away and, in fact, were still the leaders for Johnson. The Badgers actually closed the night before the Early Signing Period with a bang adding two new recruits to the 2020 class.

Johnson was recruited by myriad teams, including LSU, Cal, Michigan State, Iowa, Iowa State, Purdue, Tennessee, Virginia and others. However, the ones that always seemed to be the final four were Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska and Oregon State.

This is a huge get for Paul Chryst and the Badgers and represents a big local victory over two B1G West rivals. This was the cherry on the top of an excellent recruiting class and should hopefully propel the Badgers into the 2021 recruiting cycle.

Video highlights

Player bio (courtesy of UW Athletic Department)