Wisconsin football hosts loaded group of 2028 recruits for 'Bucky’s BBQ'
Wisconsin hosted several top 2028 recruits for Bucky's BBQ. Here's who made the trip to Madison and what they said afterward.
The Wisconsin football program has spent much of June hosting and landing official visitors from its highly ranked 2027 recruiting class. This weekend, however, the staff’s focus shifted toward the future.
Luke Fickell and his staff welcomed an impressive collection of 2028 prospects to Madison for the program’s annual “Bucky’s BBQ” recruiting event, allowing some of the Badgers’ top targets to get on campus, spend time around the coaches, and get a feel for what Wisconsin has to offer.
The timing is important.
June 15 marks a significant date on the recruiting calendar, as college coaches are allowed to begin direct communication with incoming juniors. Events like Bucky’s BBQ have become an opportunity for programs to establish relationships before recruiting battles actually begin.
And Wisconsin assembled one of its better visitor lists in recent memory.
The group included several highly ranked prospects from both inside and outside the state, including Georgia running back Kevin Hartsfield, Illinois defensive back Logan Thompson, quarterback Matthew Lee, Wisconsin Dells defensive lineman Hendrix Dawson, and Hartland Arrowhead tight end Tre Oiler, one of the top-rated in-state prospects in the 2028 class, along with a host of other 4-star recruits and targets.
For Wisconsin, that’s where the story begins.
After falling short in years past, the Badgers dominated in-state recruiting during the 2027 cycle, securing commitments from many of the state’s top prospects (10 total) while assembling one of the strongest recruiting classes in the program’s modern recruiting-rankings era. Now, the challenge for this coaching staff becomes repeating that success in 2028.
BadgerNotes caught up with several recruits in attendance to get their thoughts on the visit, their conversations with the staff, and where Wisconsin stands in their recruitment. We’ll also share a few additional recruiting notes and takeaways from a busy weekend on campus.
• Hendrix Dawson (DL, Wisconsin Dells, WI) — The 6-foot-3, 285-pound defensive lineman remains one of Wisconsin’s top in-state priorities in the 2028 cycle. Dawson already holds scholarship offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Maryland, Minnesota, Northwestern, and SMU. Dawson has been a longstanding defensive target for the Badgers staff.
Dawson said one of the biggest takeaways from the visit was getting a glimpse of what life inside the program would actually look like.
“We had a lot of fun this visit, it wasn’t just business and football,” Dawson told BadgerNotes. “We did a scavenger hunt around the city and had a lot of fun. Coach [E.J.] Whitlow was driving, and Coach [Bryan] Sanborn and I were collecting clues. We also went through what a day looks like for an incoming freshman football player, and that helped me picture what life would be like for me in the Badgers program.”
The relationship with defensive line coach E.J. Whitlow has also continued to strengthen throughout the recruitment.
“My relationship with Coach Whitlow has been steady,” Dawson said. “He communicates well and keeps things real, which I like. I am always impressed with our position meetings. He is smart in how he breaks down the game. It’s been a good process so far. The consistency with which I get invited to these events has really helped these relationships grow.”
• Anthony Busby Jr. (LB, St. Louis, MO) — Another notable visitor was linebacker Anthony Busby Jr., a 6-foot-1, 215-pound linebacker from St. Louis who brings a wrestling background. Busby spent time with inside linebackers coach Tuf Borland and defensive coordinator Mike Tressel during the visit, as Wisconsin continues to build relationships with one of the more intriguing and versatile defensive prospects in Missouri.
Busby, who holds scholarship offers from Nebraska, Kansas State, Missouri, and Arizona State, said a few things in particular stood out.
“What stood out most today was getting to do activities with Coach Borland, driving around campus and learning about the history of the program and all the great things they’ve got coming,” Busby said.
The St. Louis University standout also came away with a clearer picture of how Wisconsin envisions him fitting into its defense.
“Coach Borland matched my film with some of the linebackers in his room, and the first things they mentioned were how aggressive I play the game and my ability to make reads and tackles fast. They see me playing that MIKE linebacker position, like Cooper Catalano, getting sent on blitzes and being that field general.”
• Collin Burris (OL, Marysville, OH) — Another offensive line prospect worth monitoring is Collin Burris out of Marysville, Ohio.
