2022 Wisconsin Football Early Signing Day: Immediate Impact

Recruitment is a lifeline for the college football program, and Early Signing Day is a huge first step into the future for players, coaches and fans. Today is the day players can write on the pen of their future home and fans can get excited about the prospects their schools bring.

Most players can relax after signing day and start preparing for their arrival at their own schools. Many players develop a couple of years before we see them on the field, but the effect of some can be felt at an early stage and in others even immediately. In Wisconsin, for example, last year he got a guy named Braelon Allen who seemed to have a pretty immediate impact on UW.

Allen is a rare example, but many other players saw the field from last year’s class. Safety Hunter Wohler played a lot in special teams and some defensive passes, corner defender Ricardo Hallman got a few starting passes on the reserve, linebacker Jake Chaney played on special teams and back defender Jackson Acker got some positions e.g.

The 2022 class isn’t big, and most of the players we’re seeing are probably men whose development will take some time. Last year, Allen and Wohler stood out from the types that are likely to get clicks, but this year the picture is less clear. Who are the guys who might jump out early? Let’s see.

Austin Brown (Security, Johnston City, Ill.)

When we talked to Allen Trieu of 247 Sports about the latest episode of Bucky’s 5th podcast, we asked him this question, and his first name was Austin Brown. Brown is a safety / linebacker hybrid that looks at least physically ready to play the next level early. This section is key for any player who wants to make this jump early in their career. Brown has the physical tools to play, but where he ends up in terms of position is the deciding factor. There’s a lot of talent in both the security and mate rooms already in Wisconsin, but Brown is certainly a name that could be in the mix.

Tristan Monday (Linebacker / Defensive End, Scottsdale, Ariz.)

Another name Trieu mentioned in our discussion was linebacker Tristan Monday. Monday is currently 6 feet-4 and is incredibly explosive. He was a very productive player at the high school level and was able to really thrive in Wisconsin quickly when he gets on campus and into the Badgers program. Monday is a high-motor, physical player who can really make a big jump if his things go very early.

Tommy Mcintosh (Wide receiver, Dewitt, Mich.)

The surname mentioned by Trieu was the broad Tommy Mcintosh. Mcintosh is an interesting opportunity for the Badgers. He comes to UW standing 6 feet 5, so the height and body are sure to be there. Many people look at Mcintosh and think he could become a UW strict, but Trieu mentioned that he thinks Mcintosh is athletic enough to play wide and compete against the defenders of Big Ten. His size and speed, combined with the badgers looking for a couple of widths next year, will allow Mcintosh to see the field if he makes an impression early.

Other?

In addition to these three, Wisconsin has mostly developing men in its hands. A guy on the defensive line like Curtis Neal could be a player early in his career because of his size and speed, but we need to look at where he is with his recent knee injury. Aidan Vaughan seems to be the stealer in the class, but he enters the line-up room, which is already full of talent from the last couple of classes. Joe Brunner is a physical player who plays incredibly hard, but usually Wisconsin wants to take years of development on the offensive line.

Who do you think will make an immediate impact? Let us know in the comments!