Official visits for the Badgers this weekend
The Wisconsin Badgers have reaped the rewards of the first two official visit weekends, having landed six recruits in the month thus far as they approach another busy couple of days.
Who’s next on the docket for the Badgers and their official visits this weekend?
Tuesday June 13
Four-star OL Emerson Mandell
The Badgers scheduled a late mid-week visit with four-star offensive lineman Emerson Mandell, currently ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of Minnesota, according to the 247Sports Composite.
Mandell is receiving strong interest from three schools: Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa State.
The 6’5, 295-pound lineman has already taken an official visit to Minnesota, while Iowa State is up this coming weekend.
The Badgers have been active at offensive line this offseason, having landed four-star Kevin Heywood, three-star Ryan Cory, and three-star Collin Cubberly to complement three-star in-state tackle Derek Jensen, who committed in April.
Still, after a weak class in the trenches in 2023, the Badgers could be looking to add another offensive lineman, with Mandell and three-star Ronan O’Connell amongst the top of their board.
Thursday June 15
Four-star S Koy Beasley
The Badgers are pushing for four-star safety Koy Beasley, who will visit Madison this weekend on his official visit.
Beasley, an Ohio native, has accumulated significant interest from Pittsburgh, where he took an official visit last week, and Purdue, where he’ll be taking his final official visit next weekend.
The Badgers already have a pair of safeties in three-stars Kahmir Prescott and Raphael Dunn, but could add a third in the 2024 class, with Beasley in the mix, as well as three-star Kaj Sanders, who officially visited the Badgers on May 30th.
Beasley currently has a Crystal Ball projection to Pittsburgh from 247Sports’s Steve Wiltfong.
Friday June 16
Four-star RB Dilin Jones
The Badgers are deep in the race for four-star running back Dilin Jones, who has seen interest from four major schools: Wisconsin, Maryland, Florida State, and Virginia Tech.
A Maryland native, Jones has been most acquainted with the Terrapins, but is taking official visits to Wisconsin(June 16th) and Florida State(June 23rd).
While the Badgers have zero commits at the position in their 2024 class, they’re in a battle for Jones, four-star Darrion Dupree, and three-star Gideon Ituka.
Many have pegged Ituka, another Maryland native, to the Badgers, but the team could try and land Jones first in what should be a two-running back class for the program.
Three-star DL Joe Barna
The Badgers appear to be in a two-man race for defensive lineman Joe Barna with the Illinois Fighting Illini, who have the hometown advantage.
Barna received an offer from the Badgers in late April after reaching campus for the first time and has two official visits set: Wisconsin(June 15th) and Illinois(June 23rd).
The Badgers are looking to bolster their future depth along the defensive line, as they only have one commit in the 2024 class thus far in defensive end Hank Weber.
However, they’re in the race for several talented players, including four-stars Liam Andrews and Benedict Umeh, and three-stars Dominic Kirks and Dominic Nichols.
Barna, standing at 6’4, 240-pounds, could be a good fit with the Badgers, who will be fighting against their rivals for the three-star recruit.
Source: Bucky's 5th Quarter
