SB Nation New York: All Posts by Mike Fiammetta

Wisconsin football recruiting 2013: Dominic Cizauskas becomes Badgers' 6th in-state commit for 2014

2013-06-20T00:48:06Z

It took all of one day for Mukwonago, Wis., linebacker Dominic Cizauskas to act on his seventh college offer. After attending camp at Wisconsin on Tuesday and receiving an offer, Cizauskas announced his commitment on Wednesday. He becomes the Badgers' sixth in-state commit for 2014.

Thank you to everyone who helped get to where i am today. Just commited to play football for the University of Wisconsin #Blessed
— DommyDom (@DomCiz) June 19, 2013

Cizauskas is a 6-foot-2, 249 inside linebacker who was a two-time All-All Conference selection in the Classic Eight. In 2012, he also garnered honorable mentions on the All-Area, All-County and and All-State teams after recording 109 tackles (17 for loss), five sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumbles recovered.

Cizauskas joins defensive ends Billy Hirschfeld and Connor Sheehy as defensive commits for Wisconsin's 2014 class. He chose the Badgers over offers from Ball State, Butler, Illinois State, Minnesota, Northern Illinois and South Dakota State. Secondary coach Ben Strickland let Cizauskas' recruitment, with some help from defensive coordinator Dave Aranda.

More: UW commits, offers and targets B5Q recruiting hub

Wisconsin has now failed to bring in only one in-state recruit it offered, as Somerset tight end Gaelin Elmore committed to Minnesota on Sunday. In addition to Hirschfeld and Sheehy, Monona Grove (Madison) tackle Jaden Gault and Arrowhead (Hartland) guard George Panos are Wisconsin's other in-state commits for 2014. Sun Prairie defensive tackle Craig Evans remains a soft verbal, and while he's had recent flirtations with Michigan State, he also tweeted to offer congratulations in "joining the fam."

@DomCiz welcome to the fam bro
— craig evans (@craigevans18) June 19, 2013

For his part, Cizauskas' quick commitment indicated the high interest in Wisconsin he echoed in an interview with Badger247.com.

"It's a dream come true," Cizauskas told Badger247. "I've been to Wisconsin and met the coaching staff three or four times now. They're really good guys. Coach Andersen (Gary Andersen) is a straight up guy. He showed he's going to care for me in every aspect of life.

"All the facilities are brand new, state of the art. That's just what you need. It's a dream school of mine. I just thought it was the right thing to do."

Wisconsin, Washington State schedule home-and-home for 2022, 2023

2013-06-19T22:12:47Z

Wisconsin and Washington State announced on Wednesday that they have rescheduled their home-and-home series for 2022 and 2023, back from 2014 and 2015. The Badgers will host the Cougars in 2022 before traveling to Pullman, Wash, in 2023.

The original agreement had the first game coming at Pullman in 2014 and the next one in Madison in 2015. Wisconsin is 2-0 all-time against Washington State, with both games coming in Madison. The Badgers won 42-21 in the 2007 season-opener and also squeaked out a 35-26 back in 1976. Over the last 20 seasons, the Badgers are 11-4-1 in 16 games against Pac-12 teams.

The rescheduling presumably paves the way for Wisconsin to set its long-rumored neutral-site contest with LSU. Speculation has persisted that the Badgers and Tigers would square off at Reliant Stadium in Houston during the 2014 season before continuing the series sometime in the future at Lambeau Field. Various media outlets have gone as far as to report the series as official before pulling back, so it's widely believed the deal is all but done. The last we heard, UW and LSU were "close to finalizing" everything on May 29.

Wisconsin also has a neutral-site game scheduled against Alabama for the 2015 season. This deal obviously clears out two more dates for those games, in addition to letting us believe college football will still be played next decade. Roll damn tide.

For Washington State, the rescheduling allows the Cougars to proceed with their long-rumored series with Rutgers. The two schools also announced that deal on Wednesday; The Scarlet Knights will travel to Seattle (not Pullman) on Aug. 29, 2014, before the Cougars return the favor at Rutgers on Sept. 12, 2015.

View From the Other Side: Vanquish the Foe talks Austin Kafentzis, Wisconsin-Utah connections

2013-06-19T17:03:43Z

After Wisconsin picked up a commitment from top 2015 quarterback Austin Kafentzis from Sandy (Jordan), Utah, it seemed as good a time as ever to discuss the Badgers' burgeoning interest in the area. Gary Andersen was born in Salt Lake City, played center for two years at Utah and spent his formative years as a coach at schools throughout the state. His personal connections with the Kafentzis family also reportedly played a major role in Austin choosing Wisconsin over offers from BYU, Hawaii and Utah, landing the Badgers their first commit for the 2015 class.

UW's interest in utilizing those Utah connections is also found in the 2014 class, of which Salt Lake City ATH Ula Tolutau became the sixth member last month. An offer is also out to 2015 running back/linebacker Osa Masina, the top Utah prospect in that class according to 247 Sports.

To explore Kafentzis' commitment and what it means for this Wisconsin-Utah link, we chatted with Brett Hein, the Managing Editor of SB Nation's fine BYU Blog, Vanquish the Foe. BYU was the first school to offer Kafentzis, and Brett's had some opportunities to see him play. Needless to say, he came away very impressed.

More: UW commits, offers and targets B5Q recruiting hub

1. B5Q: Wisconsin fans are excited about the prospect of Kafentzis, and we've heard from a few BYU fans on Twitter who were hoping to nab him. From what you've seen and heard, what kind of prospect is Kafentzis? Just how good is he?

Brett: Kafentzis can ball. He's accurate, has arm strength, and can get on the move. If any Wisconsin fans have followed Chuckie Keeton before and after he played in Madison, this should be exciting. Kafentzis was named National Freshman of the Year by MaxPreps and followed it up with National Sophomore of the Year honor this season.

In 14 games, he threw for 32 touchdowns (against 12 interceptions) and ran for 26 more. His average game last year for his state champion Beetdiggers looked like this: 14-22 for 216 yards and 2 TD's through the air with 135 rushing yards and 2 more TD's on 17 carries.

2. B5Q: Do you think Kafentzis will remain committed to Wisconsin, or will he continue to hear pressure from BYU, Utah, etc.

Brett: He'll still be hearing from BYU and Utah. BYU was first to offer him just after his freshman season ended, and he still has two full seasons of high school ahead of him, right in their backyard. I would guess he stays committed, but I don't think BYU or Utah will simply disappear.

3. B5Q: Have people in the region taken notice of Gary Andersen's early efforts at Wisconsin, both inside and outside of recruiting? He's been very popular so far and has seemingly made people out here even more impressed by what he did at at Utah State.

Brett: Andersen was well respected in all his years in football in the state of Utah, and his pull of two of Utah's three best recruits (Kafentzis and Ula Tolutau, with the offer into the third in Osa Masina) is definitely drawing attention. He is a respected defensive coach as well, recruiting/coaching guys like Bobby Wagner through to the NFL from "little" Utah State.

4. B5Q: Is there a viable Wisconsin-Utah connection now? Is it safe to say that before long, BYU, Utah and Utah State will be facing direct competition from Wisconsin for in-state prospects?

Brett: I definitely think so. The talent in Utah isn't extremely deep (though getting much, much better each year), but the cream of the crop have always been good and BYU/Utah have always had to battle to keep the best players in state, usually against Pac 12 schools. But this brings a whole new dynamic: a Big Ten coach has ties to woo the state's best. And it's not just any Big Ten program, either. Wisconsin's recent success (that's what these kids see) has been fantastic. I think most of Utah's best prospects will have Wisconsin offers. Andersen had to sit back and take a recruiting beating (as far as in-state kids go) from Bronco Mendenhall and Kyle Whittingham while he was at Utah State; now, I think he might enjoy returning the favor a bit.

5. B5Q: Perhaps this is a stretch, but will this stoke interest in this season's Wisconsin-BYU game? How excited are BYU fans about that game, and possibly (hopefully!) a trip out to Madison?

Brett: Not a stretch at all. The interest was definitely there anyway -- BYU fans able to travel have definitely made Camp Randall priority #1 this year over Notre Dame, Virginia, or playing at Reliant Stadium. But, this is an emerging dynamic to the game (and what we hope is a series?!?!) that could be at least a little important. BYU stands to gain some ground, even if it's just a little, if it can show in-state recruits it earned a W in Madison.

What's happening with Wisconsin's secondary?

2013-06-19T14:50:58Z

In hindsight, we should've known the early going of Gary Andersen's tenure at Wisconsin was too rosy. From the initial reports of his hiring to his introductory press conference and spring ball, Andersen earned essentially unanimous reviews. He blasted Macklemore at practice, made a point to personally appeal to his players and nailed basically every public appearance he made -- whether it was flipping burgers at Culver's or taking his time to brighten a young, sick Badger fan's days.

Now we're at June 19, and three players have left the program this month. Danny O'Brien's departure is hardly surprising and you really can't blame him for seeking playing time elsewhere. Plus, Wisconsin's insanely deep at quarterback right now. But the other two are downright startling, both in their surprising developments and critical consequences on Wisconsin's roster. Reggie Mitchell was released from his scholarship, presumably to transfer to his hometown Pitt Panthers. Donnell Vercher presumably wanted to play for Wisconsin after committing as a JUCO recruit, though transcript issues prevented his admission to UW. Together, their sudden absences leave the Badgers with gaping holes in a secondary that already lost Marcus Cromartie, Shelton Johnson and Devin Smith after last season.

More: Spring secondary preview

So what now? Perhaps Andersen and his staff will continue mining the JUCO ranks to bring another defensive back in. That's hardly something to bet on, though. The unit could very well thrive under the element of early, early-season adversity, but it would take incredible developments from a few young and generally inexperienced players.

Cornerbacks: Peniel Jean and Darius Hillary (and Sojourn Shelton?)

All of a sudden, Peniel Jean is the "rock" in Wisconsin's secondary. Quotation marks are necessary qualifiers there considering he has zero career starts and has played in just 19 games. He has zero career interceptions and three pass deflections to his name, and his 2012 campaign was dramatically limited by a broken foot suffered shortly before the season-opener.

In fairness, Jean was a solid nickel back in 2011. He notched 23 tackles and seemed primed for a breakout 2012. With the 2013 secondary already in the shape it's in, Jean must be a steadying force for the other younger corners.

Hillary, meanwhile, was Wisconsin's No. 1 nickel back for much of 2012. He appeared in 14 games in his redshirt freshman year, meaning he's had decent exposure for a young guy, but has still never been a starter. He's versatile enough to play safety, as well, and he's been mentioned as a candidate to move back to safety following the losses of Mitchell and Vercher.

Whether or not Hillary switches positions, the Badgers would do well to get a breakout season from freshman Sojourn Shelton. As one of two early enrollees alongside fellow corner Keelon Brookins, Shelton had a fantastic spring, culminating in standout spring game performance. He's likely the No. 2 corner behind Hillary at this point, with redshirt freshmen and first-team All-Name candidate Hugs Etienne behind Jean. Junior Devin Gaulden could also be in the mix, if healthy.

Safeties: Dezmen Southward and Michael Trotter/Michael Caputo

This group has the benefit of a senior like Dezmen Southward, who's been widely pegged for a breakout final season. He'll likely be all over the field as first-year defensive coordinator Dave Aranda looks to get his top 11 players in the best possible positions. Southward was an honorable mention All-Big Ten honoree last season, starting all 14 games and notching 69 tackles (eight for loss).

Elsewhere, there's even less certainty than among the corners. Trotter, a junior, has started just three games and has yet to live up to the considerable hype that he brought to UW from nearby Racine. Caputo's a virtual unknown to Badgers fans, a sophomore who "saw action" in the Rose Bowl and notched 10 tackles all season. He redshirted his freshman year after coming from Imperial, Pa., as a three-star recruit. Nate Hammon, a redshirt freshman from Milton, Wis., also saw time with the first-team defense this spring.

Other possibilities include, as mentioned above, switching Hillary to safety. That might not be optimal, though, considering the already-thin depth at corner. Trotter will certainly get his shot to win the job, as will Caputo to some extent. A position switch could also be in the cards for JUCO transfer Tekeim Reynard, as well.

Consider all these guys in the mix, and perhaps we'll see a newcomer or two later this summer. But the fact remains that what began as a moderate weakness for 2013 is now a glaring concern for a Wisconsin team that is still managing to return the most lettermen of any BCS school.

Wisconsin football recruiting: Utah quarterback Austin Kafentzis commits to 2015 class

2013-06-18T20:28:47Z

Wisconsin picked up its first commitment for the 2015 recruiting class when Sandy (Jordan), Utah, quarterback Austin Kafentzis gave his verbal to head coach Gary Andersen on Tuesday.

Kafentzis is a 6-foot-1, 200-pound pro-style quarterback who was named to the 2012 MaxPreps Sophomore All-American team earlier this year. This past season for Jordan High School, Kafentzis completed nearly 64 percent of his passes (200 of 313) for 3,018 yards, 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He was also prolific on the ground, rushing for 1,884 yards and 26 touchdowns on 237 attempts (7.9 yards per). Jordan won the Class 5A state title as Kafentzis tossed three touchdowns and ran for another trio of scores.

More: UW commits, offers and targets B5Q recruiting hub

In addition to Wisconsin, Kafentzis also received offers from BYU, Hawaii and Utah. Andersen's connections to the area were obviously crucial, as he spent the last four seasons as the Utah State head coach. Defensive line coach Chad Kauha'aha'a -- who spent the last two years at Utah -- and first-year offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig, who worked alongside Andersen at Utah from 2005-08.

Jordan High QB Austin Kafentzis gives Gary Andersen a verbal commitment after Tuesday morning workout. pic.twitter.com/ZmK8a5KweH
— Amy Donaldson (@adonsports) June 18, 2013

Jordan QB and 2013 Mr. Football Austin Kafentzis gives a verbal commitment to Wisconsin. pic.twitter.com/Z2VcdGz2Gn
— Amy Donaldson (@adonsports) June 18, 2013

Kafentzis is Andersen's second Utah commit since coming to Madison. Salt Lake City running back Ula Tolutau became the sixth member of UW's 2014 class last month. Wisconsin has also offered four-star Salt Lake City (Brighton) running back/outside linebacker Osa Masina, the top-ranked prospect from Utah, for 2015.

Report: JUCO commit Donnell Vercher denied admission to Wisconsin, will play for Fresno State

2013-06-18T17:28:28Z

Barely into summer conditioning, the departures just keep on coming for the Wisconsin Badgers. Safety Donnell Vercher, a JUCO commit from Fresno (Calif.) City College, was denied admission to Wisconsin and will instead play for Fresno State, according to CBS 47 in Fresno. The reason for the denial is currently unclear, though CBS 47 is reporting grades will not prevent Vercher from playing immediately at Fresno State.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound safety initially chose Wisconsin over Fresno State and Syracuse after visiting Madison shortly before National Signing Day in February. He previously committed to Fresno State late last December, though he decommitted Jan. 28 after drawing interest from larger schools. Vercher notched 23 tackles and eight interceptions at the JUCO ranks last season, enticing Wisconsin's new coaching staff as a potential ballhawk for a secondary that lost Marcus Cromartie, Shelton Johnson and Devin Smith to graduation after last season.

More: Updated depth chart Early secondary preview

Last week, redshirt freshman Reggie Mitchell was released from his scholarship and will likely transfer to his hometown team, Pittsburgh. Mitchell was a projected starter at safety coming out of spring, and now the Badgers have a gaping hole to fill in the secondary. Aside from senior strong safety Dezmen Southward, the Badgers are left with junior Michael Trotter (three career starts), sophomore Michael Caputo (one start) and senior Kyle Zuleger, who converted to defensive back from running back this spring. Junior running back Jeffrey Lewis is also expected to switch over to defense, and he could be another candidate to get reps at safety.

Senior quarterback Danny O'Brien also left the Badgers earlier this month, electing to try to find a destination where he could challenge for the starting job.

Projected 2013 Wisconsin Football Depth Chart

2013-06-18T17:26:00Z

--Last updated on June 18, 2013

<< See official depth chart (via UWBadgers.com)

OFFENSE

	*FIRST TEAM*	*SECOND TEAM*
QB	2 Joel Stave (So.)	10 Curt Phillips (Sr.)
RB	20 James White (Sr.)	25 Melvin Gordon (So.)
FB	34 Derek Watt (So.)	26 Derek Straus (So.)
WR	4 Jared Abbrederis (Sr.)	16 Reggie Love (So.)
WR	9 Jordan Fredrick (So.)	3 Kenzel Doe (Jr.)
TE	48 Jacob Pedersen (Sr.)	49 Sam Arneson (Jr.)
TE	85 Brian Wozniak (Sr.)	46 Austin Traylor (So.)
LT	79 Ryan Groy (Sr.)	61 Tyler Marz (So.)
LG	73 Dallas Lewallen (Jr.)	71 Ray Ball (So.)
C	70 Dan Voltz (Fr.)	58 Jacob Ninneman (Jr.)
RG	54 Kyle Costigan (Jr.)	75 Zac Matthias (Sr.)
RT	78 Rob Havenstein (Jr.)	56 Riki Kodanko (Jr.)

DEFENSE

	*FIRST TEAM*	*SECOND TEAM*
DL	92 Pat Muldoon (Sr.)	91 Konrad Zagzebski (Jr.)
DL	87 Ethan Hemer (Sr.)	93 Jake Keefer (So.)
NT	96 Beau Allen (Sr.)	45 Warren Herring (Jr.)
*OLB*	97 Brendan Kelly (Sr.)	51 Tyler Dippel (Sr.)
*ILB*	36 Ethan Armstrong (Sr.)	30 Derek Landisch (Jr.)
*ILB*	44 Chris Borland (Sr.)	13 Conor O'Neill (Sr.)
*OLB*	47 Vince Biegel (Fr.)	52 Nick Hill (Sr.)
CB	21 Peniel Jean (Jr.)	19 Hugs Etienne (Fr.)
SS	12 Dezmen Southward (Sr.)	27 Kyle Zuleger (Sr.)
FS	43 Michael Trotter (Jr.)	7 Michael Caputo (So.)
CB	5 Darius Hillary (So.)	22 Sojourn Shelton (Fr.)

SPECIAL TEAMS

	*FIRST TEAM*	*SECOND TEAM*
P	90 Drew Meyer (So.)	12 Matt Salerno (Fr.)
*K (FG)*	94 Kyle French (Jr.)	17 Jack Russell (So.)
KO	94 Kyle French (Jr.)	17 Jack Russell (So.)
LS	56 James McGuire (Jr.)	60 Connor Udelhoven (Fr.)
H	90 Drew Meyer (So.)	96 Stephen Salata (So.)
PR	4 Jared Abbrederis (Sr.)	3 Kenzel Doe (Jr.)
KR	25 Melvin Gordon (So.)	3 Kenzel Doe (Jr.)

Wisconsin hires former West Virginia women's tennis coach Tina Samara

2013-06-17T18:37:18Z

Wisconsin hires former West Virginia women's tennis coach Tina Samara

After former women's tennis head coach Brian Fleishman resigned in early May, Wisconsin announced his replacement on Monday in West Virginia coach Tina Samara. Samara was at WVU since the 2010-11 season. "We’re pleased to add Tina to our staff," Wisconsin Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez said. "I was impressed with her background and her intensity. I like the fact that she’s developed her own program. She has a vision and ideas to move this program forward." As a player, Samara was a two-time All-American at Georgia. In her 25-year coaching career, she has spent time at Colorado, Louisiana-Lafayette and West Virginia, in addition to five years on the USTA/WTA/LTA Pro tour. In her three seasons at WVA, she rebuilt the program after recruiting two of the highest-ranked recruits in school history. She's also a native of Oyster Bay, N.Y., so that'll make Billy Joel happy. And that makes me happy.