UW football head coach Bret Bielema announced his second freshman class Wednesday, which includes 16 scholarship players and was ranked No. 26 nationally by ESPN.
The class is headlined by running back John Clay and offensive lineman Josh Oglesby, both Wisconsin products who Bielema worked hard to keep in the state.
""[Clay] was a big get for us because we know for us to have success year in and year out it needs to start here in Wisconsin,"" Bielema said Wednesday.
Clay, a native of Racine, Wis., announced his intentions to attend UW last month, but Bielema could not comment on his freshman class until they were able to sign their letters of intent Wednesday. Clay is the No. 4 running back in the nation, according to Rivals.com, and rushed for 3,517 yards and 45 touchdowns in his last two years of high school. He led Washington Park to a state title as a junior.
""I really believe he has an opportunity to come in early on and contribute as well with Zach [Brown] at the running back position,"" Bielema said.
Brown is ranked among the top 55 running backs in the nation by Rivals.com and is a guy who may have flown under the radar. In 2006, Brown rushed for 1,062 yards and 16 touchdowns. Bielema was optimistic that he would be in the mix early.
With Clay and Brown joining UW's backfield, the Badgers will have four competitive running backs with either freshman or sophomore eligibility in 2007. Sophomore P.J. Hill returns but was slowed by injuries late last season and will miss the spring season. Sophomore Lance Smith also remains in the mix and was a top 100 recruit in 2006.
Bielema's highest overall ranked recruit is Oglesby, an offensive lineman out of Milwaukee. Oglesby was the first to join the 2007 freshman class and is ranked as the No. 1 offensive tackle in the nation and No. 10 overall player by Rivals.com.
""Out of this recruiting class, he was the first offer,"" Bielema said. ""Any time you are 6'5' and 280 pounds as a freshman [in high school] you are going to get attention.""
Now at 6'7' and 315 pounds, Oglesby is already drawing comparisons to graduated lineman Joe Thomas, and the freshman could come in and replace the former Badger star as early as next fall.
""Josh unfortunately had an injury this fall but stayed true to form, has improved, and expect him to have a full recovery for us in the fall,"" Bielema said.
The wide receivers are headlined by Nick Toon, the son of former Badger-great Al Toon, who went on to have a successful NFL career.
Toon is ranked as the No. 3 overall player in Wisconsin behind Oglesby and Clay, according to Rivals.com. The Middleton native ""has a huge upside,"" Bielema said, and could even play a part in the return game.
Another freshman receiver who will compete as a punt or kick returner is David Gilreath, who had arguably the most impressive highlight video of the ones shown Wednesday.
""I think he will become very popular with this video with all Wisconsin fans as a punt returner, kick returner, [and] wide receiver,"" Bielema said.
Gilreath is a Minnesota product with outstanding athletic ability.
""We like him because when he came to camp he was probably one of the most impressive athletes since I've been coaching,"" Bielema said. ""[At 5'11'] he might be able to run right under this table without ducking, but he can really fly.""
On the defensive end, UW went after defensive backs and found some good ones.
""Overall I thought that if there was one area that we needed to be strong at in this recruiting class, kind of like the offensive line a year ago, it's probably the defensive back position,"" Bielema said.
The top cornerback is Aaron Henry out of Immokalee, Fla. Bielema credited the 6'0', 169 pound freshman with opening up this year's Florida pipeline to Wisconsin after he committed in early December. Henry is rated as the No. 22 cornerback in the nation according to Rivals.com. He will also be involved in the return game.
UW's greatest hole is at safety after losing its top four safeties to graduation. Sophomores Shane Carter and Aubrey Pleasant top the depth chart right now, but incoming freshman Quincy Landingham will already be placed on the two-deep chart, according to defensive backs coach Kerry Crooks.
Landingham is rated among the top 20 safeties by Rivals.com and has already enrolled at UW, giving him a step up on the competition.
""Right now he'll be in the two-deep just based on the lack of personnel,"" Crooks said. ""He would have worked himself to that spot anyway though.""
Landingham had committed to Michigan State back in April, but after the Spartans fired head coach John L. Smith, the highly touted safety reopened the recruiting process. That's when Wisconsin stepped up its communication with the Bloomfield Hill, Mich., native and convinced him to come to Madison.
""Had that not happened at Michigan State, I don't know if he would be sitting here or not, but it did, and he's here and it's a great situation for him and for us,"" Crooks said.
Landingham has already started winter workouts with the team and is happy with his decision.
""It's just been a big help so far just working out with team, just getting used to college courses and everything,"" Landingham said Wednesday.
Bielema was also able to sign two top linebackers. Kevin Rouse, from Yorkville, Ill., is rated the No. 16 inside linebacker in the nation by Rivals.com, while Blake Sorensen was named ""Mr. Football"" in Minnesota in 2006.
""I really think Blake ... has the ability to come in and play early on at one of the outside linebacker positions,"" Bielema said.
The head coach added that Wisconsin is likely to add one more scholarship player within the week, which would have them over-signed by one scholarship. Over-signing is a common practice in college football that must be resolved by the time the season starts.
Cooper gets last chance
After originally reporting last Thursday that senior Jamal Cooper had been kicked off the team for academic reasons, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel now says the defensive end has one more chance.
Bielema said Wednesday that Cooper has until the end of this semester to figure out his academic affairs, according to the paper. He is not participating in winter workouts and will miss the spring season, but can rejoin the team in the summer if he turns things around.
