The 2024 Wisconsin Badgers could possibly be a lot improved on each side of the soccer after a disappointing 2023 season. The workforce, as an entire, is perhaps strides higher than final yr’s group that went 7-6 towards a light-weight schedule.
But when that’s the case, ESPN thinks it can occur with none of school soccer’s premier gamers. Particularly, just one Wisconsin Badger made its current listing of the highest 100 gamers within the sport coming into 2024: cornerback Ricardo Hallman.
Associated: Wisconsin Badgers game-by-game picks coming into 2024 from ESPN FPI matchup predictor
Hallman is down at No. 62 within the prime 100. He’s on the listing due to a 34-tackle, 3.0 tackle-for-loss, 7-interception, 5-pass-deflection 2023 marketing campaign. His rise to No. 62 total comes after coming into the 2023 season unranked fully.
Participant rank is again. We put collectively the highest 100 CFB gamers for the 2024 season, contemplating each previous efficiency and future projection. I am certain there will probably be zero complaints. https://t.co/6McRGvBVwE
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) August 15, 2024
Right here’s what the ESPN workers wrote concerning the Wisconsin star cornerback.
Hallman’s journey has been one to look at. After being a redshirt freshman who barely acquired any snaps throughout his first two seasons, Hallman made a leap final yr. The Miami native secured a beginning spot within the Badgers’ secondary and tallied a nation-leading seven interceptions on his solution to All-America standing. Going into his junior season, Hallman by some means stays one of many extra underrated defenders — and gamers — in school soccer and must be primed for an additional huge yr.
The trail that ESPN mentions consists of becoming a member of the Badgers as a three-star recruit within the class of 2021. He was this system’s third-lowest-rated commit within the class (the bottom rated was Jake Chaney, the Badgers beginning inside linebacker coming into 2024). The category broke data, led by five-star OT Nolan Rucci, four-star OT Riley Mahlman and four-star S Hunter Wohler. Hallman has emerged as arguably its greatest participant.
That path additionally consists of taking part in in three video games as a real freshman in 2021, 9 (eight begins) as a redshirt freshman in 2022, then exploding onto the scene in 2023. Now coming into 2024, he’s arguably among the best cornerbacks within the sport. In ESPN’s eyes, no less than, one of the underrated.
Different Badgers who may have made the listing embody security Hunter Wohler (120 tackles in 2023) and large receiver Will Pauling (837 receiving yards, 6 touchdowns in 2023).
Both approach, Wisconsin’s success in 2024 will come from a deep group of productive gamers, somewhat than from only one or two recognized stars.
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Story initially appeared on Badgers Wire
