What happened to Wisconsin's highly rated recruiting Class of 2021? (2024)

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin’s 2021 football class represented the culmination of a three-year stretch in which the Badgers elevated their recruiting to heights unseen during the online rankings era. By the time the cycle closed, Wisconsin finished with the No. 16 class nationally in the 247Sports Composite — a mark that remains the highest in program history and the only one to crack the top 20 — with one five-star prospect and eight four-stars.

The thought at the time was that if Wisconsin could start with a more highly rated set of players and continue to develop them as it had walk-ons and three-stars, then where could the program go? But as with any class, there were bound to be both hits and misses because recruiting is a crapshoot.

It just so happened there were more misses than the Badgers would have liked because of injuries, off-the-field issues, coaching changes, a lack of expected development and the increased usage of the transfer portal, among other reasons. The latest player to move on was among the most highly ranked in that class.

Four-star edge T.J. Bollers announced last week that he would enter the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining. That came three months after the highest-rated player in the class, five-star offensive tackle Nolan Rucci, entered the portal and transferred to Penn State.

Only eight of the 21 scholarship signees in the class remain on Wisconsin’s roster. Safety Hunter Wohler, cornerback Ricardo Hallman, inside linebacker Jake Chaney, outside linebacker Darryl Peterson, running back Jackson Acker and right tackle Riley Mahlman all are part of the backbone of the program for next season. Defensive lineman Mike Jarvis and offensive lineman JP Benzschawel are fighting for snaps in the two-deep.

What happened to everyone else from the 2021 class? Here’s a look at their Badgers careers.

OL Nolan Rucci (Lititz, Pa)

• Original rank in the class: 1
• 247Sports Composite: Five-star, No. 16 overall, No. 5 offensive tackle
• Total snaps at Wisconsin (per Pro Football Focus): 70 offense, 10 special teams

Rucci became just the fifth five-star prospect to sign with Wisconsin in the online recruiting rankings era but was never able to make his mark in three seasons. He worked his way into the backup left tackle spot and earned the first meaningful snaps of his career during the ReliaQuest Bowl after Jack Nelson sustained an injury. But Nelson’s decision to return for another season meant Rucci likely would have been a backup again. He transferred this offseason to Penn State, where his dad was an offensive lineman.

DL T.J. Bollers (Tiffin, Iowa)

• Original rank in the class: 4
• 247Sports Composite: Four-star, No. 159 overall, No. 11 edge
• Total snaps at Wisconsin: 35 defense, 82 special teams

Bollers’ body type seemed to be that of a tweener at Wisconsin. He bulked up to 278 pounds as an outside linebacker last season before moving to the defensive line. Bollers was working with the second-team unit this spring before he entered the portal. He played in 16 career games, primarily on special teams.

RB Braelon Allen (Fond du Lac, Wis.)

• Original rank in the class: 6
• 247Sports Composite: Four-star, No. 227 overall, No. 25 safety
• Total snaps at Wisconsin: 1,255 offense, 27 special teams

Allen didn’t reach the same heights at running back as Ron Dayne, Jonathan Taylor, Montee Ball and Melvin Gordon (who each rank in the top four in program history in rushing yards). But in three seasons, Allen established himself as a fan favorite who battled through injuries and still finished his career ranked ninth on the all-time program rushing list with 3,494 yards, making him the most successful player in the class to date. His 5.85 career yards per carry ranked fourth. Allen declared for the NFL Draft after last season and is expected to be a mid-round pick.

WR Markus Allen (Dayton, Ohio)

• Original rank in the class: 7
• 247Sports Composite: Four-star, No. 376 overall, No. 60 wide receiver
• Total snaps at Wisconsin: 146 offense, 9 special teams

Allen’s Wisconsin career began with so much promise but ended in bizarre fashion. He entered the transfer portal in October 2022 after Paul Chryst was fired and committed to rival Minnesota, only to decommit and return to Wisconsin after Luke Fickell was hired. Allen was arrested by Madison police last spring for possessing open alcohol on public property at the Mifflin Street Block Party, when a search of his backpack revealed a gun that had been listed as stolen. Allen, who did not face charges, re-entered the transfer portal and announced in December he would be attending Butler Community College in Kansas.

LB Jake Ratzlaff (Rosemount, Minn.)

• Original rank in the class: 8
• 247Sports Composite: Four-star, No. 377 overall, No. 41 linebacker
• Total snaps at Wisconsin: 4 defense

Ratzlaff was a tremendous high school player who racked up 261.5 tackles and 28.5 tackles for loss. He chose Wisconsin football over a hockey career but left the program and returned to hockey after a hip injury led to back problems while running at high speeds. He transferred to the University of St. Thomas near his hometown in Minnesota to play hockey.

TE Jack Pugh (Hilliard, Ohio)

• Original rank in the class: 10
• 247Sports Composite: Three-star, No. 453 overall, No. 20 tight end
• Total snaps at Wisconsin: 9 special teams

Pugh was a high school basketball standout whose trajectory changed with an excellent junior season of football, which led to 24 scholarship offers. His athleticism and size made him an intriguing prospect at Wisconsin. But he did not play last season and publicly announced in December his decision to medically retire from football, citing mental health issues.

ILB Bryan Sanborn (Deer Park, Ill.)

• Original rank in the class: 11
• 247Sports Composite: Three-star, No. 476 overall, No. 52 linebacker
• Total snaps at Wisconsin: 18 defense, 101 special teams

Sanborn, the younger brother of former Badgers standout linebacker Jack, appeared in 17 career games largely as a special teams contributor. He played in 11 games and made eight tackles in 2022. Sanborn announced last month that he would be medically retiring from football due to what he called “several back injuries.”

QB Deacon Hill (Santa Barbara, Calif.)

• Original rank in the class: 12
• 247Sports Composite: Three-star, No. 493 overall, No. 39 quarterback
• Total snaps at Wisconsin: 3 offense

Hill’s big arm was the topic of much conversation during his brief stint at Wisconsin, but he wasn’t able to translate that into consistent success. Hill played three snaps during the second half of a 2022 game against New Mexico State but was passed on the depth chart by freshman Myles Burkett and entered the transfer portal that October after Chryst was fired. Hill transferred to Iowa and ended up as the starter last season on a team that reached the Big Ten title game after Cade McNamara tore his ACL. Hill completed 48.6 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and eight interceptions.

OLB Ayo Adebogun (Mequon, Wis.)

• Original rank in the class: 13
• 247Sports Composite: Three-star, No. 555 overall, No. 36 edge
• Total snaps at Wisconsin: None

Adebogun won the Tim Krumrie Award as the outstanding senior defensive lineman in the state of Wisconsin in 2020 and was viewed by the Badgers as an outside linebacker with the power and speed to be a consistent disrupter. He moved on from the football team after one season and wasn’t listed on the spring practice roster in 2022.

RB Loyal Crawford, Eau Claire, Wis.

• Original rank in the class: 15
• 247Sports Composite: Three-star, No. 571 overall, No. 37 running back
• Total snaps at Wisconsin: None

Crawford was dismissed from the football program in August 2021 after police said he armed himself with a knife during a fight in a dorm with then-Badgers teammate Antwan Roberts. Crawford was cited for disorderly conduct and disorderly conduct while armed. He transferred to Independence Community College in Kansas but did not record any stats there.

CB Al Ashford III (Denver)

• Original rank in the class: 19
• 247Sports Composite: Three-star, No. 952 overall, No. 79 cornerback
• Total snaps at Wisconsin: 12 defense, 25 special teams

Ashford played in four games on special teams in 2022 before a hip injury that required surgery. He was not on Wisconsin’s spring practice roster in 2023 and eventually transferred to Utah State. Last season, Ashford played 15 defensive snaps and 128 special teams snaps for the Aggies while recording four tackles in 13 games.

WR Skyler Bell (Bronx, N.Y.)

• Original rank in the class: 20
• 247Sports Composite: Three-star, No. 968 overall, No. 140 wide receiver
• Total snaps at Wisconsin: 996 offense

Bell had a breakthrough 2022 season as a redshirt freshman when he recorded 30 catches for 444 yards and five touchdowns, which ranked second on the team behind Chimere Dike. He moved from the outside to the slot in a different offense under a new coaching staff last season and, although he caught a career-high 38 passes, they went for just 296 yards and one touchdown as he took on more of a reserve role. Bell transferred in the offseason to UConn.

RB Antwan Roberts (Nashville, Tenn.)

• Original rank in the class: 21
• 247Sports Composite: Three-star, No. 1,122 overall, No. 80 running back
• Total snaps at Wisconsin: None

Like Crawford, Roberts never played a down for Wisconsin. He was suspended from the team for his role in the altercation with Crawford and entered the transfer portal less than three weeks later in September 2021. Roberts carried 34 times for 215 yards with a touchdown at Independence Community College in Kansas in 2022 and then transferred to Marshall. He rushed twice for 11 yards and caught one pass for 17 yards last season.

(Top photo of Nolan Rucci: Dan Sanger / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)