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While National Signing Day came and went last week, the Wisconsin Badgers are not done adding to their 2021 class. On Monday afternoon, unranked ATH Garrison Solliday (Mendota Heights, Minn.) out of St. Thomas Academy announced on his Twitter account that he had accepted a preferred walk-on offer from UW.
Excited to announce my commitment to further my education and athletic career at the University of Wisconsin! Thank you to my coaches, family, friends and everyone who helped me get here.❤️ #Badgers #wiscon21n @CoachBostadUW @tmehlhaff10 @CoachKhalif @CoachDanOB pic.twitter.com/oXpiDsnmE0
— Gsolliday (@Gsolliday3) February 8, 2021
A quick perusal of Solliday’s Twitter account didn’t turn up any other offers and neither Rivals nor 247 list any either, but I find it hard to believe he didn’t have ANY from some smaller schools in Minnesota, Iowa or Wisconsin at a minimum.
Solliday is a 6-foot-1 and 220 pound ATH, who will likely play ILB for the Badgers at the start of his career but Solliday has the kind of profile that could see him switch positions if the Badgers have different needs. He is an excellent high school wrestler at 220 pounds and finished No. 3 in the state last season. Wisconsin has had pretty good luck with recruits that were also wrestlers in high school, for instance NT Keeanu Benton.
Congratulations to Garrison Solliday ‘21 on finishing 3rd is State! Proud of you! #GoCadets #CadetWrestling pic.twitter.com/UOwyHeVLxW
— Saint Thomas Academy (@AllThingsSTA) March 1, 2020
Solliday made the Star Tribune All-Metro First Team in 2020, along with fellow Badgers commit Jake Ratzlaff. The Star Tribune notes about Solliday, “A repeat First Team selection, he registered 56 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and seven sacks for the Cadets (6-0), ranked No. 2 in Class 5A in the final Associated Press poll.”
On his Hudl tape, there are a bunch of highlights of him playing DE with his hand in the dirt, something he doesn’t have the size to do in Wisconsin’s 3-4 defense, but which does show that he can get to the passer, which is a nice skill for an ILB to have for the Badgers.
He appears to be a strong and solid tackler who is also quick to the ball. While he probably won’t be an early contributor for the Badgers you can definitely see him having a career arc similar to Mike Maskalunas.