Wisconsin football: UW lands Clemson transfer running back Chez Mellusi

While June 1 didn’t exactly start off the way that fans of the Wisconsin Badgers would have liked given the loss of recruiting coordinator Saed Khalif to Michigan State, the Badgers appear to have generated some positive momentum on the recruiting trail nonetheless.

Fresh off of an official visit to Madison, former Clemson running back Chez Mellusi wasted very little time and has committed to play for Paul Chryst and the Badgers this coming fall.

Mellusi entered the transfer portal at the end of April and was considered a Wisconsin lean for quite some time before making it official. He will have three years of eligibility remaining with the Badgers after signing with Clemson as part of the 2019 recruiting class.

During his tenure with the Tigers, Mellusi accumulated 427 yards rushing yards (6.0 ypc) in 20 games, and also recorded seven total touchdowns in a reserve role. He is expected to compete for reps with Jalen Berger (assumed RB1), Isaac Guerendo, Julius Davis, Brady Schipper and a large group of incoming freshmen. With Guerendo and Davis both out for the majority of spring practices, and Berger also missing a significant portion of the spring, the Badgers desperately needed to add depth to their running back group for the fall.

At 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds, Mellusi is a capable runner between the tackles, and he has also shown an ability to catch the ball out of the backfield in limited opportunities. A former 4-star recruit, and Army All-American, he should bring an added element to the running back room with his balanced running style and vision.

Mellusi’s commitment is hopefully just the first step in what could be a monster month on the recruiting trail for the Badgers this June.