The latest group of Badger football players was revealed to the public Wednesday afternoon at Camp Randall, and although there were none of the nationally renowned signees the Badgers have landed in recent years, Barry Alvarez and his staff maintained that they got the group of players that they were looking for.
In total, Alvarez announced the signings of 26 players, with the one walk-on still weighing his options until this evening. Wisconsin was limited to just 20 initial scholarships, and as a result, they were what Coach Alvarez described as “creative” with their recruiting.
“We had to be creative in this recruiting class,” said Alvarez. “We have three players referred to as gray-shirts that are included, and we were very active in terms of walk-ons.”
The Wisconsin class was designed to fill specific positions that have plagued the team in recent years and provide at least a few players who can step onto the field and contribute in a positive manner next season. Of the 26 recruits, 12 of them are linebackers or running backs. The focus was to add speed to the linebacking corps and to add some depth to a productive but thin backfield. However, Alvarez acknowledged that all the running backs will not remain at that position.
Wisconsin also attempted to address what was clearly their weakest position last year by signing several kickers in an effort to bring some consistency to special teams. They signed a junior college kicker, Scott Campbell, and expect him to handle kickoffs next season, as well as compete for the place-kicking job
“The thing you like about a junior college kicker is that he has kicked the ball off the ground,” commented Alvarez. “High school kickers use a tee, and sometimes they can never make the transition to the ground, and he has done a nice job of that. He was also the leading scorer [in the country] coming out of high school as a kicker.”
The Badgers are also very high on their other kicker, Matthew Domonkos, out of Pennsylvania. Domonkos will likely red-shirt next season, but did kick a 58-yard field goal last season that set the Pennsylvania high school record.
Badger coaches are convinced that at least one, and hopefully two, of their six new linebackers will be playing next year.
“I feel as though we’ll have at a least a handful that have an opportunity on the field, particularly at linebacker, where we are thin and inexperienced,” said Alvarez. “I really like the group of linebackers that we signed. They are all big and physical. They can run and are intelligent. I’m certain that at least a couple of them will be on the field and able to contribute next year.
The UW coach also seemed very excited about the signing of one of the best linebackers in the junior college ranks. Alvarez plans to have 6-foot-1, 235-pound Alex Lewis step in and start next season. Lewis, who was Conference Defensive Player of the Year at SUNY-Morrisville, recorded 100 tackles and 10 sacks this past season.
“You bring in junior college players for one reason: to give you instant help at that position,” said Alvarez. “I feel that Alex certainly has all the qualifications and tools to do so. We studied him very thoroughly and we’ve just been very impressed with him as a person.”
Other linebackers that the coaches were especially impressed with were 6-foot-1, 215-pound Reginald Cribbs from Chicago, as well as 6-foot-2, 230-pound Wisconsin native Mark Zalewski, who made 119 tackles as a senior at Wausau East. The Badgers also landed a familiar name when they signed Joe Monty, brother of former Badger linebacker Pete Monty. Monty, who currently stands 6-foot-2, 235 pounds, figures to eventually see time as a defensive lineman, but he does not figure to see any time for several years.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Badgers feel more comfortable about next year’s lineup but were extremely impressed with two running backs in particular. According to Alvarez, Booker Stanley of Whitefish Bay was the top back in the state, and the coach was very pleased to have gotten his man.
“We like how he is very physical; he has legitimate track times,” said Alvarez. “He really loves Wisconsin. He has spent a lot of time around here, and we thought he was the best one of the bunch.”
While the coaches feel that Stanley is a sure thing, the other running back they have the highest hopes of all for is Phillip Fuller. Fuller, a Texas native, was being pursued by some of the nation’s recruiting powers before tearing his ACL. While many teams lost interest, the Badgers felt that his upside was too good to pass up.
Although the Badgers are well-stocked at receiver, they did sign three pass catchers. The most impressive on videotape is Brandon White. The 6-foot-3 wide out from Palm Beach, Fla. may remind Badger fans of former wideout Chris Chambers.
