The University of Wisconsin Badgers have dismissed or suspended two other players aside from Jalen Berger: Loyal Crawford and Antwan Roberts. | Wikimedia Commons
The University of Wisconsin Badgers have dismissed or suspended two other players aside from Jalen Berger: Loyal Crawford and Antwan Roberts. | Wikimedia Commons
The University of Wisconsin sports family is set to welcome several new faces to the football and basketball programs for the 2023 season.
On the football side, Badgers coach Paul Chryst recently announced the team has inked 6-foot-6, 285-pound offensive linemen James Durand of Arizona. Rated a three-star prospect by 247 Sports and Rivals, Durand, is regarded as a player who “moves well for a player of his size,” making him an intriguing guard prospect in the team’s offense.
Durand was in Madison back in March for an unofficial visit and left town with a lasting impression, ultimately settling on Wisconsin over scholarship offers from Arizona, BYU, California, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa State, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Oregon State, San Diego State, Utah and Utah State.
In joining linebacker Tyler Jansey as the team’s second commit in the 2023 class, Durand has been busy spreading the love.
“I want to thank BASHA football and BASHA High School,” he recently tweeted. “I want to thank Coach Kelly for everything. I’m beyond excited to say that I have committed to furthering my education and football career at the University of Wisconsin! Joshua 1:9 Romans 11:36 #OnWisconsin.”
Over the next couple of months, Cryst and Company are looking to add to the mix, with SI.com reporting the likes of Jordan Mayer, AJ Tisdel and Ashton Sanders all have campus visits planned over the next several weeks.
Badgers’ hoops coach Greg Gard has been just as busy, recently welcoming Appleton native Gus Yalden back home for a visit. Now residing in North Carolina, the 6-foot-9 Yalden is celebrated as a Top 150 recruit with offers from the likes of Arkansas, Auburn, Butler, Florida State, Illinois, Iowa, Louisville, Marquette, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Rutgers, Stanford, TCU, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia and Xavier.
With Yalden hoping to make his decision over the next few months, the Badgers are also known to be in the hunt for 6-foot-6 shooting guard Jamie Kaiser out of Virginia, where he averaged 20.7 points and 7.1 rebounds as a junior, attracting interest from the likes of Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.
More recently Gard and company inked Wofford transfer Max Klesmit, with the junior guard expected to be an immediate impact player next season.
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