Boom.
While most of the summer fireworks on the recruiting trail for the Wisconsin Badgers were due to the strong 2021 group the staff is building, the 2022 class started off to a great start.
State four-star safety Braelon Allen of Fond Du Lac decided to close his recruitment early and announced his choice via Twitter to become a badger.
A highly sought-after 6-foot-2-inch, 215-pound prospect, Allen chose the Badgers over his recently announced top 6 for the state of Florida, the state of Ohio, Michigan, the state of Michigan, and Notre Dame. He had an additional offer of Iowa scholarships, while the state of Florida and the state of Ohio had not yet offered.
Allen originally set an early engagement date of January 20, but after attending the Army All-American Game as subclasses, he withdrew from that decision date.
Growing up in the state, Allen noted in an interview with Bucky’s fifth podcast that he had a great relationship with Chris Haering and Jim Leonhard, whose message to the four-star athlete was that they wanted to win a national championship.
Looking to the future of the security post, Wisconsin appears to be in good hands. Allen and his close friend Hunter Wohler, a four-star partner in the 2021 class status, seem to have the characteristics of a dynamic duo in the defense’s backend.
Seeing the best moments of his second year, his physicality jumps immediately. A hard-hitting, fast-closing defender, Allen also ran for more than 600 yards and six touchdowns as a running back.
With his current size and build, Allen appears to be suitable for security or the linebacker, depending on how he grows up. Allen told B5Q that his greatest strength could be his versatility, which makes sense given his rare combination of size and athleticism to play multiple positions.
Finally, the draw to play close to home and for a winning show won for Allen, and a domino effect could begin in the 2022 class given the large number of highly promoted players in the state who already have Wisconsin deals on hand. Allen has a close relationship with the other six state prospects in his grade with Badger’s offerings, noting that they already have a group conversation.
While nothing seems immediately imminent regarding the first decisions of the rest of the group (Carson Hinzman, Joe Brunner, Jerry Cross, Billy Schrauth and Isaac Hamm), the new Badger commit will undoubtedly be in their ears to join the fold as well, with hoping to build one of the best recruiting classes in UW history.
Only time will tell if that comes to fruition, but regardless of whether Wisconsin is off to a good start for the 2022 class with one of its best committed defenders.