How hosts play a huge role in building the Badgers’ recruiting class
December 19, 2018 | Football, Andy Baggot
Are they right for Wisconsin? Is Wisconsin right for them? A cast of current players is key to answering those questions
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BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — Scott Nelson admits it was a gamble, but he knew first-hand that the tactic worked and he liked his chances of pulling it off.
Some of the top football prospects in the nation were making their official campus visits to Wisconsin on June 8 and Nelson, a redshirt freshman free safety from Detroit, had been assigned to serve as host to Spencer Lytle, an outside linebacker recruit from Redondo Beach, California.
Nelson spent a good chunk of the weekend with Lytle, a widely coveted target out of St. John Bosco High School — he had 43 other scholarship offers — who at the time was deciding between the Badgers, Clemson and Notre Dame.
It's hard to forge a genuine, meaningful bond with anyone in 48 hours, but Nelson felt he'd made a connection with Lytle. He liked how their conversations had an easy flow. He was impressed with the questions Lytle asked because "they made you think he's not the ordinary kid," Nelson said.
The two young men were fairly deep into the weekend when Nelson launched into what he called "an honest conversation" that included what he described as a "risky pitch."
"I don't want you to come here if you're not going to be happy," Nelson told Lytle. "I want you to come here because this is the place for you.
"If this isn't the place for you, then you shouldn't come here. You have to make the best decision for Spencer. Don't make the best decision for me or Coach (Paul) Chryst. It's your decision. It's a decision in your heart."
Spencer Lytle 🏈 Linebacker 📍 Redondo Beach, CA 📱 @_SpencerLytle_ Check out the film on Lytle #NSD19 // #OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) December 19, 2018
Nelson said he heard a variation of that theme from Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, who helped recruit Nelson out of University of Detroit Jesuit High School, as well as Tyrone Wheatley, the former running backs coach at Michigan during a campus visit Nelson made to Ann Arbor in 2016.
Nelson picked the Badgers even though Wheatley made a strong impression.
"We're standing in the middle of the Big House and he said, 'I'm not going to tell you this is the place for you because it might not be,'" Nelson recalled of Wheatley, now an assistant coach in the NFL with Jacksonville. "That always stuck with me because I could tell that he meant it."
So did Leonhard.
So did Nelson.
"It was a real conversation," Nelson said of his talk with Lytle. "He opened up. I opened up. I felt like I got to know him really, really well through that."
The risk in making such a pitch is that some recruits aren't equipped for big-picture conversations and would rather know about uniforms, amenities and apparel sponsors.
"There's stuff in recruiting that's fluff and a lot of kids from this generation get caught up in that," Nelson said. "Yes, they have swag, but what about the people there?"
Nelson was encouraged by the fact Lytle — a 6-foot-3, 215-pounder whose older brother Tyler is a quarterback at Colorado — brought a grounded sense of perspective into the visit.
"I definitely got that vibe from him where he knew what he wanted," Nelson said. "He knew what to look for."
Welcome to Wisconsin, Spencer! The highly-touted linebacker from California is officially a Badger #NSD19 // #OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) December 19, 2018
Lytle ultimately found what he was searching for in Madison. He verbally committed on Aug. 4 and was among 19 who signed National Letters of Intent with the Badgers on Wednesday.
Until Lytle texted Nelson and revealed his intention to enroll at Wisconsin, Nelson worried that he was unable to deliver on his first hosting experience.
"I was a little impatient," Nelson said. "I'm very happy we got him. He's a great player. Very talented kid."
Lytle was not alone on his visit to Madison that weekend. Mixed in were other uncommitted targets as well as a group of prospects that had verbally pledged to Wisconsin with the intent of signing Wednesday.
One of those was Graham Mertz, a highly regarded quarterback out of Overland Park, Kansas. His host was A.J. Taylor, a junior wide receiver from Kansas City, Missouri, whose first impression was telling.
"The biggest thing is, he seems like a guy that Wisconsin likes to recruit," Taylor said. "From what his film looks like, he's smart, tough and dependable.
"He had character. He's a good guy. He's sociable. He's a cool guy to be around."
Graham Mertz 🏈 Quarterback 📍 Overland Park, KS 📱 @GrahamMertz5 Check out the film on Graham #NSD19 // #OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) December 19, 2018
Mertz was one of the first commitments of the class, Oct. 8, 2017, whose loyalty was tested by 15 post-commitment offers from the likes of Big Ten Conference rivals Michigan and Ohio State as well as recent College Football Playoff champions Alabama and Clemson.
Taylor said he watched some video cuts of Mertz in action with Blue Valley North High School, where he connected for a state-record 51 touchdown passes as a senior and 96 over the last two seasons. He encouraged curious teammates to do the same.
"A lot of my teammates that have questions about him they just really want to see him on film," Taylor said of Mertz, the state player of the year who will enroll at Wisconsin in January and take part in spring drills. "If anyone has questions, I say, 'Check out the film. That'll show you what he's got and what he's capable of.'"
Taylor smiled.
"I definitely know he can throw the ball," he said of Mertz, listed at 6-3 and 205. "He can sling it. He's got an arm."
Taylor said he and Mertz spent most of their time together at Taylor's campus apartment where Mertz met friends of Taylor's who are Wisconsin students.
"He's a cool dude," Taylor said of Mertz. "He likes to hang out. He's chill."
Mertz didn't have a lot of questions, which impressed Taylor.
"He'd done his research," Taylor said. "He knew he wanted to be here. He really liked it here."
Welcome to the family, Graham! The highly-touted quarterback from Kansas is officially a Wisconsin Badger #NSD19 // #OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) December 19, 2018
Another committed recruit visiting along with Lytle and Mertz was Hayden Rucci, a tight end from Lititz, Pennsylvania. He was paired with Jake Ferguson, a redshirt freshman tight end.
It might seem odd that guys from the same position group were matched up — they'll be competing for the same chunk of playing time — but Ferguson had no issue.
"He's a good kid," Ferguson said. "I'm excited to see what he can do. Being able to work with him throughout the years is going to be exciting."
Hayden Rucci 🏈 Tight End 📍 Lititz, PA 📱 @haydengucci Check out the film on Hayden #NSD19 // #OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) December 19, 2018
Rucci, who played at Warwick High School and verbally committed to the Badgers on Feb. 5, made a strong impression on Ferguson.
"Just the way he carried himself," Ferguson said. "A lot of those guys coming in, they'll tell you 'I'm a three-star, I'm a four-star, I'm a five-star recruit. I did this, I did that in high school.'
"He wasn't really like that. He was just trying to learn about campus and was very humble about what he did in high school and how he wanted to get here and start working. I respect that. I could tell he just wanted to get better."
Ferguson grew up in Madison and attended Memorial High School, which helps explain why Rucci, listed at 6-4 and 230, gave him free rein as the tour guide. They visited Ian's Pizza and multiple breakfast joints during Rucci's visit. They hung out with Ferguson's friends and moved easily about the campus.
"Me being the social butterfly that I am, just basically going out and meeting people, seeing everything around Madison," Ferguson said.
Officially a Badger✍🏼👐🏼
— Hayden Rucci (@haydengucci) December 19, 2018
Rucci had lots of questions, primarily about Wisconsin tight ends coach Mickey Turner.
"I think he's one of the best tight ends coaches in the country, a guy who focuses on all those little details," Ferguson said of Turner. "When I told (Rucci) that you could see his eyes light up."
Rucci, whose parents were standout student-athletes at Penn State, asked about life in the Big Ten.
"I said, 'It's going to be hard. It's going to be rough. People are going to hit you in the face,'" Ferguson noted. "He kind of grinned at that and was excited."
Before the visit was over, Rucci shared his overview of Madison with Ferguson.
"I love this place," he said.
Ferguson believes that two days is enough to get a good measure of a future teammate.
"You can't really figure a guy out in that amount of time," he said, "but you can get a feel for him and what he values."
How does that pertain to Rucci?
"He really thinks like a Wisconsin tight end," Ferguson said. "I think he's going to have a lot of fun."
One of the most noteworthy commitments to Wisconsin's recruiting class of 2019 is Logan Brown, an offensive lineman from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He's the first five-star prospect to sign with the Badgers from out-of-state in the online recruiting ranking era, which began in 2000.
He also took part in the group visit on June 8, pairing up with Kayden Lyles, a redshirt freshman from Middleton who played on the defensive line in 2018, but projects as an offensive lineman going forward.
Logan Brown 🏈 Offensive Line 📍 Grand Rapids, MI 📱 @loganbrown53 Check out the film on Logan #NSD19 // #OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) December 19, 2018
Brown has been chosen to play in the All-America Bowl along with Mertz and is an elite weight man in track and field, but his greatest gift might be his personality, which helped him bond with Joe Rudolph, Wisconsin's associate head coach and offensive coordinator.
"His ability to connect with his future teammates," Lyles said of what stood out about Brown. "Very outgoing. Very cool person to hang out with. An easy person to connect with socially. I definitely feel like he's a good fit for the program."
Lyles and senior nose tackle Olive Sagapolu accompanied Brown, listed at 6-6 and 288, on a walking tour of campus. They hit the highlights — State Street, the Capitol and the Union Terrace — talking about whatever came to mind before dinner at The Old Fashioned.
"I think I made him feel comfortable," Lyles said. "He felt like this place was home and felt like a family."
Lyles didn't watch any video of Brown — who had 18 scholarship offers — because he wanted to try to get to know all the recruits as people first.
"He just feels like a Wisconsin O-lineman," Lyles said of Brown. "Whatever we talked about, you just felt he fit in."
Welcome to the family, Logan! Just made a BIG-time addition to the offensive line at Wisconsin #NSD19 // #OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) December 19, 2018
A week later, Wisconsin coaches hosted another group of recruits, some committed and some not. Sophomore inside linebacker Griffin Grady, from Dublin, Ohio, was matched with Rodas Johnson, a defensive tackle prospect from St. Francis DeSales High School in Columbus, Ohio. Johnson was still considering Penn State and Texas in addition to the Badgers.
What was Grady's sales pitch?
"It was easier than it sounds," he said. "I ended up here for a reason. I love it here. I love the coaching staff. I love everything about this place. That was the easy job for me, selling here and what this place stands for and where we're going looking forward.
"He got the vibe from us that we're ready to turn it up in the years to come."
Rodas Johnson 🏈 Defensive Line 📍 Columbus, Ohio 📱 @onlyrodas10 Check out the film on Rodas #NSD19 // #OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) December 19, 2018
Johnson, listed at 6-4 and 285, made a verbal commitment to Wisconsin on Nov. 6 and reached out to Grady via text.
"It pumped me up when I saw he'd committed," Grady said. "We're happy to welcome him to the family. He's going to do great things. He was a good get."
Grady said their shared Ohio backgrounds served as a familiar backdrop to talks that took place over dinner at The Edgewater and visits to the Union Terrace and State Street.
"There's no way to 100-percent know that somebody's going to fit, but talking to him and getting a feel for what kind of guy he is — getting to know his family a little bit — right away I could see him here," Grady said of Johnson. "He's just a guy who fits. That's the vibe you get from him."
Grady took some time before the visit to watch video of Johnson and was struck by his athleticism and motor.
"I liked what I saw," Grady said. "I'd love to have a D-lineman like that in front of us linebackers. He's a playmaker."
Welcome to the family, Rodas! Excited about this strong addition to our defensive line at Wisconsin #NSD19 // #OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) December 19, 2018
Leo Chenal, a standout linebacker and running back at Grantsburg High School in Wisconsin, showed up for the June 15 visit having verbally committed nine months earlier. His older brother, John, a fullback who walked on to the Badgers in 2017, was waiting for him. So was redshirt sophomore tailback Garrett Groshek, who was Leo's host.
Prior to Leo's arrival, a Wisconsin staffer told him he could do whatever he felt comfortable doing on his visit.
"Leo wanted to go lift weights," Groshek reported with a knowing smile. "That would have been perfect for me to go sit in a weight room for a couple hours. I would have been fine with that."
Leo Chenal 🏈 Linebacker 📍 Grantsburg, WI 📱 @LeoChenal Check out the film on Leo #NSD19 // #OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) December 19, 2018
Groshek said he called around, but couldn't locate a facility that could accommodate the request. So Groshek took the Chenal brothers to the campus home he shared with sophomore center Tyler Biadasz, sophomore outside linebacker Noah Burks, sophomore offensive tackle Cole Van Lanen and sophomore fullback Mason Stokke.
Groshek enjoyed the brotherly dynamic.
"Leo loves puns and he'll use one whenever he can," he said. "John hates it. It annoys the heck out of John. I thought it was kind of funny."
Leo, listed at 6-2 and 215, was the state offensive and defensive player of the year as a senior and finished his prep career with 385 tackles, 55 for loss. He projects as an inside linebacker.
Groshek noted that John saw special teams action in seven games, which is pretty remarkable for a true freshman walk-on. Given that, he thinks Leo is cut from the same material.
"Leo is a guy that just wants to play football, lift weights," Groshek said. "The coaches know and you know he's a good kid, a good person, and you know he'll be a good fit."
Welcome to the family, Leo! Just added depth and talent to our linebacker core at Wisconsin #NSD19 // #OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) December 19, 2018
A week after trying to convince an uncommitted prospect to come to Wisconsin, Nelson hosted a slam dunk. Julius Davis, a tailback from Menomonee Falls was among the first verbal commitments of the class, making his announcement Nov. 21, 2017.
"He was basically being just like another host," Nelson said.
Julius Davis 🏈 Running Back 📍 Menomonee Falls, WI 📱 @juliusdavis32 Check out the film on Julius #NSD19 // #OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) December 19, 2018
Davis, listed at 5-11 and 190, stayed true to the Badgers even though he had several post-commitment pursuers — including Notre Dame and LSU — that turned some heads.
After rushing 257 times for 1,762 yards and 17 TDs as a junior, Davis missed all but two games as a senior due to injury. In those two games, he averaged 11.2 yards a carry and scored six times.
"He's very comfortable here," Nelson said. "He's from Wisconsin so he's visited here a lot. He's familiar with the coaching staff and the program. He loves it. He was completely sold, 100-percent in."
Now they all are.
Welcome to the family, Julius! The in-state standout at running back is officially a Wisconsin Badger #NSD19 // #OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) December 19, 2018
