Wisconsin may be closing in on another early piece for its 2028 recruiting class, and this one looks like it could move fast.
Nick Osen of 24/7 Sports has logged a crystal ball prediction for offensive lineman Brock Barrows to end up with the Badgers. Osen’s track record carries real weight - he’s 125-for-125 on crystal balls - so when he makes a call, people notice. In recruiting terms, that’s about as strong a signal as you’re going to get.
Barrows is a priority target for Wisconsin offensive line coach Eric Mateos, who identified him as a player he wanted in the Badger program. The interest has only grown from there. The 6-foot-2, 277-pound lineman has picked up seven offers from Arkansas, Iowa State, Minnesota, Tennessee, Purdue, Northwestern, and Wisconsin.
Barrows is still unranked by 24/7 Sports, but he’s viewed as a 3-star recruit by On3 and looks like a prospect whose stock is headed up. He was part of the FBU Freshman All-American Bowl as a freshman, then played left tackle for Lee’s Summit West in Missouri as a sophomore. This season, as a junior, is expected to be the one where more people start paying attention.
Wisconsin has already been in a strong position. In June, Barrows told Evan Flood of On3 that Wisconsin was "definitely the team to surpass right now." As July winds down, the Badgers still appear to be the team to beat, and a commitment could come before Wisconsin even takes on Notre Dame in Week 1.
If Barrows does choose Wisconsin, he would become the second commitment in the 2028 class. Luke Fickell already has 4-star linebacker Cale Britt from Orlando, Florida in the fold. For a class that hasn’t even reached the junior year of high school, that’s an unusually fast start.
Even with just one pledge so far, Wisconsin is already sitting at No. 12 nationally in the 2028 rankings. Fickell has kept the momentum rolling after a hot 2027 class, and Wisconsin was able to put together a top-25 group even without winning much on the field. The players coming in are eager to help push the program back toward success.
Landing Barrows would also reinforce what Wisconsin fans already know about the direction of the class: the Badgers are still putting a premium on the offensive line and the trenches. With one linebacker and one lineman potentially in place, Wisconsin would have a strong early foundation for 2028.
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