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Luke Fickell’s recruiting plan at Wisconsin: “Within the 300-mile radius, that will be the core on what it is that we do.”
— Jesse Temple (@jessetemple) November 28, 2022
Luke Fickell hit all the right notes after taking over as Wisconsin’s head football coach in November 2022.
His opening press conference focused on ‘competing for championships,’ reestablishing the program as a Midwestern power and, most notably, evolving its approach while keeping the established strong roots and identity.
Now, exactly 28 months later, it’s hard to argue that any of that has become the case. The Badgers are 12-13 on the field, including a 5-7 2024 campaign that saw the program miss a bowl game for the first time since 2001. They have been far from playing for Big Ten titles or College Football Playoff appearances, although those may have been lofty goals given the conference’s current landscape. Furthermore, some of the team’s struggles have been due to Fickell’s initial decision to hire offensive coordinator Phil Longo and move the Badgers to an air raid, a significant departure from their classic pro-style identity.
Fickell moved on from Longo toward the end of the 2024 season. The program now enters 2025 with a new, more familiar offense in place, led by veteran coordinator Jeff Grimes. That shift may instigate an on-field progression. But as things currently stand, it’s hard to say much of Fickell’s initial vision has been realized.
One comment from one of his opening press conferences is worth returning to in that regard. It is his vision for Wisconsin’s recruiting pipeline:
“For me, the uniqueness of being here, just like we were at Cincinnati, is within a 300-mile radius, you can do the core and crux of your program,” Fickell said. “And that’s what I love about this opportunity. Within the 300-mile radius, that will be the…
Source link : https://badgerswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/badgers/recruiting/2025/03/27/wisconsin-recruiting-luke-fickell-in-state-commitments/82686274007/
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Publish date : 2025-03-27 13:00:00
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