Luke Fickell reveals conversations he had to keep Wisconsin recruits, philosophy going forward
New Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell had to find a way to make sure recruits stayed committed to the program through the coaching transition. Ultimately, he managed to keep a good number as the Badgers signed 13 players on National Signing Day on Wednesday.
Fickell appeared on Big Ten Network afterward to reveal what those conversations with players were like, while also setting the tone for what he hopes to accomplish moving forward.
“It was pretty quick,” Fickell said. “I think more than anything, the guys that were committed we tried to just make sure we introduce ourself but understand that they were committed to a university. They were committed to a program. That’s not gonna change. The culture and the things that have been done here over a period of time is something we want to come in and be a part of to enhance those things.
“They chose this place for a reason and we wanted to make sure they felt good about what it is that they chose. There might be a different face and different name, but I promise you we’ll live up to what they expect and build a relationship, which is what it’s all about.”
Wisconsin has the No. 49 class in the country and No. 11 in the Big Ten according to On3’s Consensus Team Rankings. That includes safeties Amare Snowden and Braedyn Moore, both of whom were originally committed to Cincinnati, the school Fickell left to become the Badgers’ head coach.
The Badgers signed just one quarterback, Cole LaCrue, who is set to enroll in January. Oklahoma freshman Nick Evers plans to transfer and he is also set to enroll in January. That will be key considering that Graham Mertz transferred this offseason.
Fickell explained that going forward his recruiting philosophy will be focused on “getting the right ones,” saying that he won’t put much stock in rankings as long as he likes the player.
“It’s getting the right ones, and I think that can mean a whole lot of different things,” he said. “The only way you can know if you’re getting the right ones is to spend the time and build a relationship. That’s probably the most difficult thing. You’re thrust into this with some guys you don’t know that are already committed and you’re trying to go off there to fill a class. What we didn’t want to do is make mistakes. Not get the right ones, so to speak. Not who 247 says is the best or Rivals says is the best. It’s what we believe is the best for out program and our future. There’s a lot more to that than just the height, weight and speed. It takes a lot of time to get to know those guys and I think that’s why you see a few of those guys that came over with us that we had recruited for the last couple of years that maybe were going elsewhere but we knew them.
“Then we obviously tried to keep as many of the guys as were already committed here because we knew they believed in what the place stood for and things weren’t gonna change as much. We’ve got to make sure we build the relationships and know what it is we’re getting. What we’re gonna do is not gonna be unique from anybody else, but there’s gonna be a standard and expectation of how you do everything. If guys can’t embrace and grasp that, in the long run it’s not gonna be the right place for them.”