Oliver’s 18 Favorite Ranked Available Unsigned Wisconsin 2021s
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Despite the risk of sounding like a broken record, the 2021 class of high school football prospects have been dealt a historically bad hand in terms of recruiting exposure and opportunities. Regional as well as college and university camps were…
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Continue ReadingDespite the risk of sounding like a broken record, the 2021 class of high school football prospects have been dealt a historically bad hand in terms of recruiting exposure and opportunities. Regional as well as college and university camps were cancelled, fan attendance was limited at best, and official visits and the usual in-person recruiting interactions were all axed under the heavy swing of COVID-19. Whether we are through the thick of things or not, it doesn’t change the fact that a lot of missed time and chances cannot be made up for these current Wisconsin seniors, and with the Early National Signing Day come and gone the window to sign with a Division 1 program will continue to shrink. Now that a lot of players have officially signed with their future college programs there are still some top tier recruits available, and I believe every prospect on this list has the size and/or talent to play at the D1 level. Let’s get to know some of my favorite available Wisconsin 2021s below, and thank you for reading!
2021s
Garrett Gillette Garrett Gillette 6'5" | 225 lbs | TE Mukwonago | 2021 State WI (Mukwonago) TE. 6’5, 225 lbs. 2x All-Conference, 2x All-Region. Former Arizona State Sun Devils commit. The giant from Mukwonago has had probably the biggest whirlwind of a recruiting process of any 2021 in the entire state, as saw many D1 scholarships roll in from the likes of Iowa State, Central Michigan, Central Florida, Northern Iowa, Buffalo, Ball State, Western Illinois, Toledo, Fordham, Michigan State, Liberty, and Ohio before committing to a PAC12 Sun Devil scholarship. Almost a month ago however he saw that scholarship offer dropped, along with ’Tosa East’s Macus Mbow, and has since seen recruiting love from Purdue, Florida International, and Liberty, and was reoffered by Ohio. Despite being our #7 overall prospect in the state he hasn’t signed anywhere, and with his natural strength, balance, and athleticism he’s as surefire of a Power-5 prospect that you’ll see on this list. I love his length and promise as both a blocker and pass-catcher and he’s going to make a D1 TE room a lot better.
Carter Borchardt Carter Borchardt 6'3" | 205 lbs | DB Stevens Point | 2021 State WI (Stevens Point Area) SS/OLB. 6’3, 205 lbs. Without a senior season in the Fall things are obviously going to be harder to garner scholarship offers, and Borchardt is a prime example of this unfortunate aspect of 2020. With outstanding size and a lean 205 lbs. he’s an impact player in all three phases of the game and is a physical and aggressive presence as a DB/LB hybrid. His willingness to hit is my favorite trait of his from his junior season, and I’m excited to see how the offseason has been treating him and Stevens Point and how much wood he lays this Spring.
Austin Dahlke Austin Dahlke 6'1" | 190 lbs | LB Edgar | 2021 State WI (Edgar) LB/RB. 6’1, 195 lbs. PrepRedzoneWI State Player of the Year. Wisconsin state sack and TFL leader. First Team All-State, 2x All-Region, Conference Player of the Year, All-Conference as a LB and as a RB, and a 4 sport All-Conference athlete. Recorded 86 tackles, 13 sacks, 26 TFLs, 4 INTs, 4 FFs, 3 FRs, 1,003 rushing yards and 15 TDs in 2020. Holds offers from Bemidji State, UMary, Northern Michigan, Valparaiso, Augustana, St. Thomas, Bucknell, Illinois State, Northern Colorado, and PWOs from San Diego State, Nebraska, Northern Illinois, Western Kentucky, Colorado State. With the influx of recent FCS scholarships and FBS PWOs I would imagine that it’s going to be a little bit of time until Dahlke commits, but you never know. Either way, his ability to trigger on the ball and bring the pop at the point of contact is something really special. He also throws a wicked mean stiff-arm, so watching him play football is truly a pleasure if you like aggressive play, but he’s also noteworthy for his instincts and athleticism and is going to be a heckuva college player. I’m very excited to see where he ends up.
Austin Zeeveld Austin Zeeveld 6'3" | 280 lbs | OL Plymouth | 2021 State WI (Plymouth) OL. 6’3, 280 lbs. 3x All-Conference selection and 2x All-Region pick. Wisconsin lineman of the year semi-finalist. Holds three DII offers from Concordia-St. Paul, Upper Iowa, and Winona State. Vicious run-blocker who comes out of his stance low and uses strong hand placement and active foot drive to level defenders in the run game. He’s a compact and powerful college OG prospect who works well in space and finishes blocks through the whistle.
Evan Ladwig Evan Ladwig 6'5" | 270 lbs | OL Plymouth | 2021 State WI (Plymouth) OL/DE. 6’5, 270 lbs. All-Conference, Conference Lineman of the Year, All-Region, All-State Honorable Mention. Also is a heavyweight wrestler for Plymouth’s wrestling team. Received a PWO from Iowa State. Also holds offers from Eastern Illinois, North Dakota, Southwest Minnesota State, MSU-Mankato, Upper Iowa, Minnesota-Duluth. Around a month ago the Plymouth offensive lineman earned a PWO offer from Iowa State, making for his first FBS opportunity, so I think his recruiting process is still very much ongoing. With excellent size and understanding of leverage as well as a nonstop motor, Ladwig flashes an impressive ability to move and operate in space and execute a successful pull. He also is a disruptive force on the defensive line and has a really high ceiling as a prospect.
Sylvere Campbell Sylvere Campbell 6'0" | 180 lbs | WR Martin Luther | 2021 State WI (Martin Luther) WR. 6’, 185 lbs. Coming into the season the Martin Luther wideout had one of my favorite junior tapes of any prospect in the state. I think he is one of the most underrated receivers and overall seniors in Wisconsin, and in his senior tape he shows off the absurd athleticism and big-play ability that made me fall in love with him as a prospect this past summer. He’s got impressive ball-tracking skills and body control to go along with some soft hands, and has the ability to get the ball into the endzone on deep fades, simple curls and WR screens, and even in the return game. His shiftiness and ability to make people miss is probably my favorite trait of his, and watching him shake and bake is something truly special. He’s also criminally under recruited, and just this month reported his first college football offer from DIII Northwestern-St. Paul. DIIs NEED to get on this kid.
Kameron Lee Kameron Lee 6'3" | 200 lbs | WR Indian Trail | 2021 State WI (Indian Trail) WR. 6’3, 200 lbs. All-Conference, All-Region. Holds an offer from MSU-Mankato. We were lucky enough to have Lee bring his talents to the Wisconsin Dells for our inaugural PrepRedzoneWI Showcase earlier this month, and it was more than a pleasure to watch him compete in person as he is a really promising athlete who can do a lot of things at the receiver position. He can jump out of the gym and some noteworthy speed at 200 lbs., and can get in and out of his breaks with efficiency and explosiveness. I’m not sure where Lee is at with his recruitment but he has a lot of upside as a prospect.
Raymone Jones Raymone Jones 6'2" | 215 lbs | DB Indian Trail | 2021 State WI (Indian Trail) WR/DB. 6’2, 215 lbs. All-Conference WR. Second Team All-Conference DB. Holds offers from Upper Iowa, Winona State, Northern Michigan, Concordia-St. Paul, Northwood University. Another standout Indian Trail athlete who came to compete at our PrepRedzoneWI Showcase a couple weeks ago, I was blown away with Jones’ overall athleticism and speed for a true 215 lber. He took reps as both a WR and CB at the Showcase and was impressive at both positions as he holds the speed to stay with receivers on deep routes as well as pull away when he’s running as a WR. He can also cut on a dime, accelerate when he plants his foot in the ground, and is patient in coverage as a DB. He has remarkable versatility and is a dynamic athlete who could play a ton of positions in college. I hope things stay active in his recruiting process.
Mac Strand Mac Strand 6'0" | 220 lbs | LB Xavier | 2021 State WI (Xavier) LB. 6’2, 225 lbs. Won just about every award possible this past season as he was selected as Fox11 Defensive “Dougie Award”, First Team All-Conference LB, First Team All-Conference FB, Conference LB of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Conference Player of the Year. Also was named First Team All-State, All-Region, a three-year captain, and a State Player of the Year finalist. Recently visited UMD. Holds offers from Central Arkansas, St. Thomas, a PWO from Iowa, Winona State, Upper Iowa, Northern Michigan, UMary, Northwood, Ave Maria, UMD. In his career he’s posted 446 tackles, 81 TFLs, 25 sacks, and 241 rushes for 1,459 yards and 21 TDs. Also a standout wrestler. Not sure what the reservations are from Missouri Valley schools regarding the state of Wisconsin’s #1 ranked LB, as Strand shows the size, speed, and production at the high school level that college programs like to see. He can do almost anything asked of him on the gridiron, from blitzing QBs off the edge or through the interior, going sideline to sideline and covering receivers and running backs out in space, or running the rock with authority, leading blocking, and catching the ball out of the backfield. He triggers on the ball well and packs a wallop to boot, and seems to be the complete package at the LB position. With his last two offers coming from D1 FCS squads I think that Strand’s recruitment is still very much ongoing, and I’m excited to see where he ends up.
Brock Lampe Brock Lampe 6'1" | 225 lbs | LB Bradford | 2021 State WI (Kenosha Bradford) LB. 6’, 225 lbs. AP All-State Honorable Mention. Posted 61 tackles, 14 TFL, 3 sacks in 2020 and in his career he totaled 316 tackles, 30 TFLs, and 5 sacks to go along with 3 FRs, 2 FFs, 3 PBUs, 2 INTs and a defensive TD. Holds offers from Bemidji State, Northern Michigan, St. Norbert College, Carthage, and Roosevelt University. The #2 ranked LB in the state also showed up and showed out at the PrepRedzoneWI Showcase, testing well and showing off some loose hips and a quick ability to change direction. He can move and operate in space and uses leverage and angles to his advantage when tracking ball-carriers. In his senior tape he is also a strong tackler with some great range. I know the D2 coaches were raving about him at our Showcase, so I think there are still some offers and decisions coming.
Will Straka Will Straka 6'1" | 215 lbs | LB Mineral Point | 2021 State WI (Mineral Point) LB. 6’1, 215 lbs. All-State Second Team, All-Region. In 6 games in 2020 he posted 541 yards and 11 TDs. Holds offers from Culver-Stockton, Minnesota State University-Moorhead, UW-Whitewater. Also visited UW-Whitewater. What a nice looking two-way prospect. Straka is powerfully built with a compact frame and a powerful lower-body who carries the ball with violence and a mean truck-stick and stiff-arm. He has tremendous contact balance and can run through tacklers with ease, and all of these pluses only are about his offensive ability! As a LB he is instinctual, quick, and explosive, and can locate and diagnose plays efficiently, sort himself through traffic, and get to the ball in a hurry. He brings the pain too. If he signs with the Warhawks he’s going to be a MONSTER get, and DIIs should continue to hop on before it’s too late.
Riley Christensen Riley Christensen 6'2" | 220 lbs | LB Belmont | 2021 State WI (Belmont) RB/LB. 6’2, 220 lbs. 2x 8-Player Offensive POTY. Has totaled 4,901 yards and 79 TDs in two years as an upperclassman for Belmont. In 2020 on defense he posted 50 tackles, 12 TFLs, 1 sack, and 2 PBUs. Came into our PrepRedzoneWI Showcase and tested off the charts with a 4.58 40-yard dash time at a legit 220 lbs. He can sink his hips and change direction suddenly as well, showed us that the athleticism and measurables matched the production he’s shown as a prep. His senior tape is full of long runs, broken tackles, and big hits from positions all over the gridiron, and at his projected college position of LB he showed off that he can disengage from blockers, cover and tackle in space, and make big plays when his team needs it. I can’t say enough good things about this kid, and although he played 8-player football (I hate that that’s seen as a negative) he is to me one of the state’s most under appreciated players and no doubt a top unsigned 2021.
Josh Bauer Josh Bauer 6'0" | 200 lbs | QB Lourdes | 2021 State WI (Lourdes Academy) QB. 6’, 200 lbs. 2x All-Conference, 2x Conference Player of the Year. All-Region. In 2020 he went 146-213 passing for 2,469 yards and 34 TDs along with 360 rushing yards and 8 TDs. A mobile and athletic threat from the QB position, Bauer possesses a cannon of an arm and shows some impressive touch and accuracy from the pocket or while on the move. He can hit receivers in stride and throw the ball into tight windows that I haven’t seen from a lot of QBs in the state this year. He’s a really promising QB prospect who has put up some crazy numbers the past two seasons and still has his best football in front of him. As of right now he only holds offers from Carthage and Culver-Stockton, and is still in contact with Southwest Minnesota State. Someone will get themselves a gunslinger.
Jason Klauck Jason Klauck 6'4" | 235 lbs | DL Kiel | 2021 State WI (Kiel) DL. 6’4, 235 lbs. Preseason All-State pick. Tim Krumrie nominee for best DE in the state. A long defensive end prospect who displays an impressive get off at the snap and uses his hands well when getting off blockers. He’s got the lower body strength and bend to not get pushed too far off of his mark when rushing the passer, and finishes tackles with power. Hasn’t reported any offers.
Kabaris Vasser Kabaris Vasser 6'2" | 220 lbs | RB James Madison Memorial | 2021 State WI (John Madison Memorial) RB. 6’2, 220 lbs. Missing a Fall senior season and definitely hurt Vasser’s recruitment, and as of right now he hasn’t reported any offers or recruiting interest. He’s a great athlete for his size and is a versatile and dynamic football player who can do a lot of things with the ball in his hands or when trying to run down the ballcarrier.
Caden Nelson Caden Nelson 6'3" | 200 lbs | QB Waunakee | 2021 State WI (Waunakee) QB. 6’3, 200 lbs. Another athlete hampered by the lack of a 2020 Fall season, Nelson is our #1 ranked QB prospect and an accomplished basketball player as well. He’s got mobility, arm strength, and poise in the pocket. He has reported a MSU-Mankato offer, a Loras College offer, and has visited Bemidji State.
Owen Arnett Owen Arnett 6'0" | 210 lbs | LB Arrowhead | 2021 State WI (Arrowhead) DB. 6’, 215 lbs. One of the hardest hitters in the state and the owner of one of my favorite 2020 Fall Hudl’s I’ve seen so far this year, Arnett recently earned offers from the University of St. Thomas as well as a PWO from the University of Virginia to go along with scholarships from MSU-Mankato, Northern State, and UMD. He’s a four-year starter, a 3x All-Conference pick, and a 2x All-Stater. He fills gaps and run fits with force and authority, and lined up all over the field in 2020 for Arrowhead. He showed some big gains in pass-coverage from his junior to senior season and got himself sideline to sideline to make big hits, PBUs, and interceptions this past season. He’s an explosive and fundamentally sound tackler who brings the BOOM with him to the point of contact, and was really promising in his zone-coverage reads and reactions. Someone is going to get a stud.
Malachi Munoz Malachi Munoz 6'4" | 270 lbs | OL Sheboygan Falls | 2021 State WI (Sheboygan Falls) OL. 6’4, 270 lbs. First Team All-Conference, All-Region. Holds PWOs from Akron, Central Arkansas. Offered by Southwest Minnesota State, Valparaiso, Northwestern College, St. Francis, Mayville State, Graceland, Culver-Stockton, St. Norbert College.