Luke Fickell sat in his office on a summer day last year and reflected on what he had learned about in-state recruiting as he built his first full high school class at Wisconsin. It had been a trying stretch with some of the top in-state talent choosing other schools, and Fickell wanted to make one thing clear: Keeping the best players home still mattered.
“Even if it is heartbreaking and disappointing in a year, it doesn’t change what we have to continue to do,” Fickell said then. “We’ve got to build better relationships. We’ve got to get on guys earlier. We’ve got to ID them better. But we’ve got to continue to understand that there’s good enough football players here that we’ve got to get. We’ve got to figure out the right ones and get them to give us a core nucleus.”
Wisconsin ultimately signed three players from the state in its 2024 recruiting class and has five in-state scholarship players committed in its 2025 class with the early signing period beginning Wednesday. What Fickell and his staff undeniably have improved is out-of-state recruiting. There are eight four-star players in the 247Sports Composite committed to Wisconsin in this class, which gives the Badgers 19 four-star prospects in the last two recruiting cycles. During that stretch, there were six four-star players from Wisconsin. The Badgers didn’t sign any of them for various reasons.
It begs the question: How much does in-state recruiting matter to Wisconsin with a changing college football landscape? The Athletic spoke with eight high school coaches in Wisconsin who have a combined 148 years of head coaching experience for that answer and more. All coaches on the panel have produced FBS-level players and have interacted with members of the Badgers’ staff. They were granted anonymity in exchange for their candor.
The panel included:
- Coach 1: Eastern Wisconsin head coach (10-plus years)
- Coach 2: Eastern Wisconsin head coach (25-plus years)
- Coach 3: Eastern Wisconsin head coach (five-plus years)
- Coach 4: Eastern Wisconsin head coach (25-plus years)
- Coach 5: Northwestern Wisconsin head coach (five-plus years)
- Coach 6: Northwestern Wisconsin head coach (15-plus years)
- Coach 7: Central Wisconsin head coach (20-plus years)
- Coach 8: Central Wisconsin head coach (15-plus years)
How would you describe how Luke Fickell and his staff recruit your school?
Coach 1: I think we’re a complete afterthought. I don’t think they are really concerned. I really believe they have focused their attention on national recruiting. Maybe we don’t have the best players and maybe they think the best players are elsewhere. But I beg to differ because I could give you 20 players right now that if they were on their team, they’d have the same record or they’d be better, in my opinion. I think they’ve forgotten what makes Wisconsin, Wisconsin.
Coach 2: Everybody is going to say they’re doing a poor job recruiting. That’s not the case at all. Coach Fickell has got great energy. He’s a terrific coach. Each staff is looking for a game-changer and what they feel is going to be your best opportunity to develop in turning a program around. It doesn’t happen overnight. They’re working their tails off and I’ve got nothing but great respect for coach Fickell and his staff.
Coach 3: They did a good job when they got into the state two years ago of getting inside the schools. You could tell there was a mandate from Fickell and Wisconsin to let the coaches know in the state they’re going to do everything they can to recruit and they want to recruit Wisconsin. They definitely show face and aren’t afraid to get out there.
Coach 7: When he first got hired, they all came out and made sure they introduced themselves. But since then, we’ve kind of lost a little bit of that. We haven’t heard as much from those guys or seen as many of those guys reaching out. I think it’s important to talk to those local coaches and throughout the state to touch base and build those relationships.
Coach 8: Early on, it was very good. One of the things that I thought really lacked at the end of coach (Paul) Chryst’s tenure, we didn’t see much of them at all. And that was the exact opposite with Luke and a point that coach Fickell made with his staff to get into schools, get into houses, talk with guys.
But then I think as it transitioned a little bit, there really wasn’t that continued — I don’t want to say interest — but relationship or connection to, hey, who do you know in the area? What players do you like in the area? Not just our own players. And then I felt it was, all right, we’re not interested in your guys. You’re not going to hear from us.
How does in-state recruiting compare to past Wisconsin staffs?
Coach 1: Even though I didn’t think it was great with Chryst, I think it’s worse now when it comes to in-state recruiting. You can say what you may about their numbers, about top in the country, whatever their average recruit value is higher. And they may be right. That’s the thing. They might be right. Maybe in three years, all these recruits that they got will pan out. To their credit, we’re in a different world now with NIL. So I imagine it’s a hard one to compare. But when it comes to recruiting the school that I’m at, I would say it’s worse.
Coach 2: They’ve worked just as hard as these other guys have. But if you don’t have what they’re looking for, they’re not going to be camping out on your doorstep. Recruiting is all based on relationships. You’ve got to be camped out on these guys and you’ve got to persuade them that’s the place they want to be at. The bottom line is these kids are going to go where they’re going to go.
Coach 3: For me, it’s say one thing and do another, if that makes sense. They’re telling us that they’re going to recruit the state and they’re going to attack the state and get after it. But then when you look at the players they’re getting in the portal and frankly when you look at these classes, how do we have so many high-level guys leave? How do kids growing up in Wisconsin not end up at Wisconsin? That’s concerning and a red flag.
Coach 4: One thing Wisconsin’s always done a great job of is the preferred walk-ons. With the transfer portal and kids moving and leaving, I think there’s a lot of kids who might be an inch short, a tenth of a 40 slower, who I just don’t feel like they’ve done a good job with at all. I think they’d be less likely to transfer, too. They would practice hard and they’d have a little more pride. I just kind of feel like there hasn’t been a lot of those since they’ve taken over.
Coach 7: Barry (Alvarez) and Bret (Bielema) really had a wall built up here. And we’ve lost that wall. We’ve got plenty of kids that are playing at some other Division I universities throughout the country and starting for them when they’re young. It would’ve been nice to have those kids stay home. We have seen too many high-level kids go out to other programs. We’ve got to lock this state down again.
Coach 8: They’re targeting different things than what the previous regime had success with. You found really good offensive linemen, defensive players that were going to stay in-state, whether it was walk-on or scholarship. And that’s where they had success with in-state because that’s what was required for them to be successful when it was Barry’s staff, when it was Bret’s staff and early on when it was Paul’s staff. And I think the change in what they want to be, the value of our in-state players probably isn’t as high to them.
Is getting the top in-state players as important now as it once was?
Coach 1: I think it’s probably more important. You take a look at a kid like Hunter Wohler. He would be a perfect example of a kid that could have been lured away as an NIL type of kid. But because he had so many roots in Wisconsin and love for the Badgers, he stayed. Whereas if you’re not from here, then there’s probably a little more ability to be like, “Oh, well, who cares? I’ll go somewhere else.” There’s not as much personal investment. Wisconsin football has proven over and over again that when we’ve been good, we build within.
Coach 3: You can go anywhere at any time with the portal and get really any player if the price is right and the situation is right. But it’s a hell of a lot easier to rebuild a program, to really get after the core of culture and building things if you have the entire state and their high school coaches behind you 100 percent. And the only way to do that is to recruit the hell out of the guys in Wisconsin.
Coach 4: I grew up with Barry Alvarez and all the coaches after them. The top guys never left. Alvarez and a lot of the coaches after him, that was like Bielema and Paul Chryst, that’s what they were used to. I’m not saying don’t recruit out-of-state guys. But my personal opinion is I think that was something the Badgers did great for so long, and now it’s kind of slid.
Coach 6: I don’t think it’s as important. With NIL and the transfer portal, I don’t think it’ll ever be the same if they don’t change some things, the NCAA. If you’re a kid that’s from Wisconsin and you’re going to get offered money by a school down south, out west, you might not stay in the state. It’s not like the good old days when I was a kid where if you had an offer from the in-state school, you just went there. It just wasn’t really even a question. Now there are too many other opportunities.
Coach 7: My belief is you still win by developing some players. Now, that’s kind of changed a little bit with the portal. But I just don’t think you can go in the portal and grab 30 athletes every year and be successful year-in and year-out. You’ve still got to be able to get your top kids from your area and develop those kids.
Coach 8: I don’t think it’s valued the same. It doesn’t make it right or wrong. But they have a prototype player that they want, and I don’t know that year-in and year-out, this state is going to produce that style of player. It’s a philosophy difference of what it is they want to do. And I equate it to what Gary Andersen wanted to do. It doesn’t make it wrong. It just makes it different. So I think there is less of an importance on keeping kids in this state.
Do you think the door is open now for other programs to come into Wisconsin and take some of the best players? If so, why?
Coach 1: Because Wisconsin is focused more nationally, I think that does open the doors tremendously. There’s an O-lineman from Pewaukee that got offered by Ole Miss a couple months ago. You never see that happen. Out of nowhere, these types of things are happening because the country has more access to kids and I think that Wisconsin is not sewing the doors shut on their home state right now.
Coach 3: A thousand percent it is. When Luke Fickell got in, it seemed like there was just a flood of other Big Ten schools, coaches, reps, getting in this building. And before that, there wasn’t. I’ve had every Big Ten school outside of the new ones in the building through the last couple cycles of recruiting. Frankly, any time that there is a changeover at the top, it’s a free-for-all. If I’m a coach down at Illinois, Northwestern, Minnesota, they’re starting from square one with almost every coach unless there’s a previous relationship. So why not go out there and build that same relationship and take advantage of the situation?
Coach 7: That door is wide open. Now with NIL and kids wanting money and what programs can pay for high school kids, I think that has a lot to do with why it’s open. Kids can see I’m not just getting a scholarship and this great education at Wisconsin. But if I can go to School X and get paid $500,000 to go do that, why would I not do that as well?
Coach 8: The demand for what they want might not be valued as much in this state anymore. And because I think the type of players that they want aren’t necessarily plentiful here in this state, then other states are valuing what we do have to offer.
Which staffers from Wisconsin do you talk to the most and how effective do you think they are as recruiters?
Coach 1: Our recruiting coordinator is (Devon) Spalding. I might talk to him maybe once a year. That would be gracious. In my opinion, their plan of action is to recruit nationally and pick up the pieces at home and find a couple pieces that fall in. But I don’t think that’s the formula for Wisconsin football. I don’t think it’s going to work. I think they’re going to be right back to square one here in the next couple of years.
Coach 2: Coach Fickell is a phenomenal recruiter. I really like the guy. They brought a new O-line coach in this year. I know him because he’s been at several stops and he’s got a lot of energy and he’s a good recruiter.
Coach 3: Spalding has been in here a bunch. (Mike) Tressel understands the Big Ten, understands Big Ten football, Wisconsin-type stuff, so he was in here more just kind of shooting the s— and building a relationship.
Coach 4: I know the running back coach seems to be the main one. What I do like about Spalding, he’s got a ton of energy. He’s a young guy, energetic. I think that’s a good person to recruit. I think he’s the main guy recently.
Coach 5: I think coach Blazek was in and he did a really nice job. But he’s been in once. The defensive coordinator was in for a little bit once. So I wouldn’t say I have any one guy that I’ve kind of built a relationship with as much.
Coach 7: Colin Hitschler was the guy I talked to the most. Since he’s left, we haven’t had a great follow-up with those guys. Once in a while, we’ll get a text from the recruiting people trying to identify who we’ve got. But I wouldn’t say we have a go-to guy right now.
Does Wisconsin need more coaches with previous in-state or program ties to effectively recruit the state?
Coach 3: Without question. To what degree? They have their hands full with what they need to do. They’ve got to get that ship corrected and they’re under an extreme amount of pressure. But guys that know the lay of the land, they understand where good football is played, they have relationships with coaches. If you’ve had it before as a high school coach, you expect it moving forward. And if you don’t have it, then there’s a piece missing.
Coach 4: I’m biased. I always hire alumni. I have so many former players that coach for me. And I just feel like people coach better and they’re more loyal. He’s going to hire who he’s comfortable with, but I would definitely get some former Badgers in there. I think they understand the state, they understand the landscape.
Coach 5: I don’t think that’s important. It’s nice as a high school coach to feel like, hey, we’re connected to these coaches in a different way. But at the end of the day, I think a great recruiter, a great coach can come from anywhere, can build relationships anywhere. I don’t see that as a necessity.
Coach 6: I don’t think it would hurt. If some coaches feel like recruiting isn’t as strong as it used to be, maybe that’s a way to kind of mend the fences a little bit and get it back on track. Get that positive vibe and build the relationship back.
Coach 7: Is it nice to have a background? Yes. But if you’re approachable and willing to make this a target for your program, I think guys without that background can fit in pretty well.
How would you describe Fickell’s communication level with high school coaches in the state?
Coach 1: I would say it’s fine. Probably once a year, a call. He’s not overly communicative. But that’s not needed.
Coach 2: He does a great job in recruiting. I think he’s got good ties with the coaches. He’ll let the position coach come in and do the ground work and he’s got to be the closer.
Coach 4: When he first got hired, he did a really nice job. He seemed like he visited everybody. I know he came in here. So I think from that perspective, good. Spalding has now been coming recently, so obviously he’s only one guy. Fickell was at the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association clinic and spoke there.
Coach 6: You’ve got to get out and be seen and it kind of goes back to does Wisconsin need to be a priority for Wisconsin to recruit? I don’t know if it needs to be. People like having the pride of Wisconsin kids on the roster, but I don’t know if it’s going to be like that again.
Coach 8: I think that part is good and no different than any of the other head coaches. I think it’s the guys recruiting the state and the assistants. To me, that’s on the assistants. Barry and Bret were the closers. So if you had a kid and they were really interested, obviously you were going to deal with the head coach a little bit.
Is there anything you think Wisconsin’s staff could be doing better in recruiting?
Coach 1: They could put more value into the state. And I think it’s OK to put everything into the state of Wisconsin. I think they’re afraid to. Everybody sees all these four- and five-stars. We have the highest-ranked recruiting class in the last few years. I don’t think that matters. I think they’ll realize that they can really populate their program with a lot of Wisconsin kids and they will get the results that they’re looking for.
Coach 3: You’re in the business of constant improvement, so I’m optimistic and curious to see what this recruiting cycle looks like. But it’d be nice to hear from them. What they expect from us as coaches and what more we can do to help them improve the state of football in Wisconsin.
Coach 4: The most glaring thing is the preferred walk-on. I just felt like Wisconsin used to do such a good job with that. I feel like that’s a hidden situation that they’re not taking advantage of. The second thing is I feel like some of our top guys have been starting to leave now, where before that never happened.
Coach 5: We all would want our best players to have an opportunity to play at the University of Wisconsin and in the Big Ten. But if they’re not recruiting our kids, I’m not going to say that they should be recruiting kids that they don’t think can play for them or aren’t a good fit.
Coach 6: I know you can only be at so many schools, but Fickell getting out. Everybody knows who Luke Fickell is. They recognize him, they know his face. When he would go in buildings or schools, I’m guessing that there’s excitement. I would say that would be the major thing is coach Fickell getting out to more schools. But we have 400 schools in the state.
Coach 7: Just prioritize things maybe a little bit more and really go after those guys. We’ve had a couple guys go to Ohio State and Notre Dame, programs like that. What could we have done differently to try to keep more of those guys home?
How well-positioned for future success do you think the Badgers are with recruiting in the state?
Coach 1: Not well at all with recruiting in the state. And I’m not saying it’s wrong because right now it’s clear that they are valuing out-of-state recruits more than in-state recruits. They’re making business decisions, and their business decisions right now are to go after the four- and five-star recruits, which Wisconsin doesn’t have.
Coach 2: They’ll go after the good ones. They’re prioritizing what they feel the talent needs to be recruited so they can be successful. And if it’s not in the state, it’s not in the state.
Coach 3: You don’t have to hit on everything in the home state now with NIL and the transfer portal. But I’d love to see the top guys go to Wisconsin and help them turn that thing around and put it in a better spot. How much better is Wisconsin football when you see guys making plays, guys that are All-Big Ten, All-Americans that are from Wisconsin? It just makes the state of football better in Wisconsin.
Coach 4: They need to hire some former players who know our state a little better. I think they’re missing out on some preferred walk-ons and missing out on a couple other guys.
Coach 5: If they win football games and finish toward the top of the Big Ten and make the bowl games and have the success they’ve had in the past, they’re going to continue to recruit well. The on-field product is probably the most important thing.
Coach 8: I think they’ve positioned themselves exactly how they want to. Now, I think that’s different than what high school coaches have come to know from that program, meaning there’s probably not going to be as many of them. But they’re going to be more selective in what they take from the state. And I guess only time will tell if that has worked.
(Top illustration: Meech Robinson / The Athletic; Photo: Morry Gash / AP)
