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Wisconsin Football Lands 2021 4-Star OLB Jake Ratzlaff

By Paul Bretl

MADISON, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 05: A detailed view of a Wisconsin Badgers helmet prior to a game against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Camp Randall Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 05: A detailed view of a Wisconsin Badgers helmet prior to a game against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Camp Randall Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Badger247’s Evan Flood broke the news on Monday that the Wisconsin Football program had landed 2021 4-star OLB Jake Ratzlaff.

Wisconsin Football’s 2021 recruiting class is on pace to be the best in program history since the online rankings era began. Led by 5-star offensive tackle Nolan Rucci and five other 4-star recruits — JP Benzschawel, Riley Mahlman, TJ Bollers, Hunter Wohler, and Braelon Allen — the Badgers’ 2021 class ranked 16th in the nation and third in the Big Ten.

However, on Monday, the 2021 class added a new member to this already stout group with the commitment of 4-star OLB Jake Ratzlaff from Rosemount, Minnesota, as first reported by Evan Flood of Badger247.

Listed at 6’2″ – 220 pounds, Ratzlaff threw his hat into the ring for the 2020 NHL Draft, but after going undrafted, he decided to pursue football at the college level instead.  In addition to Wisconsin, Ratzlaff also had scholarship offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, and Illinois.

He is rated as the fifth-best player in the state of Minnesota and the 24th best OLB in the nation by 247Sports. During a shortened 2020 senior season that included only six games, Ratzlaff posted an incredible 70 tackles, three sacks, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and two defensive touchdowns. He also played tight end on the offensive side of the ball, hauling in 10 receptions, three of which were touchdowns and 208 yards.

When going back and watching Ratzlaff’s tape from his junior and senior seasons, a few things stood out to Allen Trieu, who covers Midwest Recruiting for 247Sports, but perhaps most notably was his athleticism:

"“As a junior, he played outside linebacker mostly and showed physicality in taking on blocks and delivering hits on ball carriers, but also showed he could play in space. As a senior, his team moved him to deep safety and he was able to play that effectively, showing his athletic ability and ball skills.”"

Ratzlaff has played outside linebacker, safety, and he could even play inside linebacker if needed. He has experience in coverage, can get after the quarterback, and help in the run game as well. It’s easy to see why the Badgers had shown so much interest in him.

Entering the 2021 season, the Wisconsin Football program is going to be loaded at the outside linebacker position. Nick Herbig, Spencer Lytle, Kaden Johnson, Aaron Witt, and CJ Goetz will all be returning while joining Ratzlaff in the 2021 class will be Bollers, Darryl Peterson, and Ayo Adebogun.

Once again, this is another massive win for Paul Chryst and company on the recruiting trail. A place that Wisconsin is really starting to make their mark.

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