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On, Wisconsin….Says Another Trio Of In-State Pigskinners
The University of Wisconsin continued raiding the state’s football recruiting ranks for the Class of 2018.
The Badgers bagged three more in-state recruits in the past week, collecting commitments from Gibraltar Carlson “athlete” Jaylan Franklin and the West Bloomfield wide receiver combo of Taj Mustapha and A.J. Abbott.
Fellow incoming seniors Mike Furtney (Milan) and Reggie Pearson (River Rouge) committed to Wisconsin back in the spring. Furtney is a 6-foot-6, 285-pound offensive lineman. Pearson checks in at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds and plays free safety.
All five future Badgers are considered 3-star prospects. Mustapha and Abbott made their decisions over the weekend and become the Badgers’ No. 14 and No. 15 commits, respectively, in their overall recruiting class.
Franklin (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) can line up all over the field – quarterback, outside linebacker, wide receiver, tight end, safety all fit into his fabulous forte on the gridiron. Arguably the highest-rated of the new batch of Mitten Menaces on their way to the Cheese State, Franklin picked Wisconsin over almost two dozen offer, the most glitzy from Michigan State, Northwestern, Purdue, Washington State and SEC schools Vanderbilt and Kentucky.
The word out of the Wisconsin coaching staff is that they project Franklin as a pass-catch threat at the college level.
Abbott (6-foot-2, 180 pounds) transferred to West Bloomfield back in the winter from Northville. He chose Wisconsin over Michigan State and Iowa following a junior campaign where he snatched 40 balls for 900 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Spurning Michigan State, Purdue, Iowa and Minnesota in exchange for being Madison-bound, Mustapha (6-foot-2, 180 pounds) arrived in “The Swamp,” last summer after Southfield-Lathrup shut its doors and had a breakout campaign catching 47 passes for 900 yards and 10 touchdowns.
