Our partners at Badger247 have been hinting at Wisconsin possibly adding a “sleeper” recruit to the class of 2015 all week. We finally know the identity of the player, as Nate Howard committed to the Badgers ($) on Sunday.
How Howard wan’t on the radar for any recruiting service is beyond us because Howard comes from St. Louis, Mo. and Ladue Horton Watkins school. Additionally, the 6’5″, 220-pound defensive end/outside linebacker recorded an unreal 70 tackles, 4.5 sacks and four forced fumbles as a junior (according to Badger247).
Wisconsin wasn’t the only school to know about Howard though as offers were on the table from Illinois, Syracuse and Tulsa. He is not rated by 247Sports or the 247Sports composite rankings either. Apparently the offer from Wisconsin came during his junior season, but stayed under the radar until Sunday.
The film out on Howard shows a player who loves to make an impact as an edge rusher, whether standing up or with his hand in the grass. Additionally, Howard appears adept at finding a way to shed blocks quick and attack the point of a play.
What also shows up is someone that needs a bit of work on his pad level, as he plays a bit too upright at this point. However, that’s teachable, what isn’t are his pure football instincts and his love of the game that is shown through the way he plays with reckless abandon.
With film like Howard’s it’s a wonder how he didn’t have a higher profile, but chalk it up to another great job of Wisconsin coaches looking for athletic talent wherever they can find it and not worrying about public perception.
This isn’t just a sleeper, but one heck of a good football player that UW is getting. With the commitment, the Badgers remain at No. 25 in the 247Sports national rankings and No. 4 in the Big Ten rankings.
*Photo courtesy Badger247
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