First, the Badgers won on the field. Then they added a big piece for the future.
On the same day that Wisconsin routed a favored Michigan squad, the Badgers added four-star offensive tackle Riley Mahlman of the Class of 2021. Mahlman is a 6-foot-7, 270-pound junior at Lakeville (Minn.) South High School, and picked Wisconsin ahead of in-state Minnesota, Iowa and Iowa State and other Power 5 programs.
As if there was any question, the atmosphere around Saturday’s Badgers win played a part in Mahlman’s commitment.
“The atmosphere is always good there,” Mahlman told 247Sports. “In a big game, the way they played it, it brought out the best atmosphere. It was insane. It was crazy fun.
“I love how the whole city rallies around the team.”
While it’s still early in the recruiting cycle for the Class of 2021, Mahlman appears fully set on Wisconsin, as he made clear in comments after his commitment.
“I really like Wisconsin,” he said. “I think it’s a really good fit for me.”
