‘He’s about 175, 180, but he hits like he’s 220’: A closer look at Wisconsin football recruit Cody Haddad

Cody Haddad of St. Ignatius (white jersey) attracted the interest of Power Five schools after his return from an arm injury last season.

MADISON – When Cody Haddad finally got on the field last season, it was like he never missed any time.

The 6-foot, 170-pound safety from St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland broke his left forearm during a preseason scrimmage and missed the first eight games of the season. When he returned in mid-October, he provided an immediate boost with two interceptions, a pass breakup in the end zone and a 70-yard catch and run that went for a touchdown in a 21-14 loss to Cincinnati St. Xavier.

The game set the tone for a short but impressive 2023 season for Haddad that ended with a heartbreaking loss in the second round of the playoffs.

“He was averaging close to a touchdown and a pick a game…,” St. Ignatius coach Ryan Franzinger said. “He provided such a great spark for us. He’s just a bullet on defense. He’s like shot out of a gun. He goes in and he does not decelerate. He accelerates through the tackle. He’s about 175, 180, but he hits like he’s 220.”

That four-week stretch built on a strong sophomore season and was enough for a handful of Power Five offers to come his way in the two weeks that followed the season. Kansas, Purdue, Wisconsin and Nebraska offered within the span of a week.

“To miss junior year is tough and I think his performance really boosted his recruitment,” Franzinger said. “If guys wouldn’t have had some of those games to see him in, they wouldn’t have been able to see the progress of Cody.”

Last month he committed to Wisconsin. Today he is one of seven known recruits to the team’s 2025 class.

Coincidently, Franzinger is very familiar with Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell and defensive coordinator Mike Tressel. An Ohio State player from…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/175-180-hits-220-closer-130344330.html

Author : Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Publish date : 2024-02-15 13:03:44

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