Badgers losing RB recruit Stevenson part of a recent trend
The Badgers lost their top commit for 2015 when it was revealed Thursday that running back Jordan Stevenson was not admitted to Wisconsin, reportedly for academic reasons.
It was a major blow for the Badgers, as the four-star recruit out of Dallas was expected to compete for playing time as a freshman and provide depth at one of the program's most important positions.
The news also reignited discussion about Wisconsin's scholastic standards and how athletics, notably the football team, is impacted by such standards. That's been a hot topic for fans and media, especially in regards to former head coach Gary Andersen -- who left the school for Oregon State in January, ostensibly because of frustration with entrance requirements -- and several of his recruits.
In the past four years, the Badgers have had no less than nine potential players reportedly be denied admission. The first, D.J. Singleton, a safety in the class of 2012, preceded Andersen's time at Wisconsin, but the other eight were recruited by the coach who grumbled to national media outlets about academic criteria on his way out west.
For the Class of 2015, the Badgers have lost Stevenson, offensive tackle Sam Madden and linebacker Mohamed Berry. Stevenson's recruitments is now open, while Madden signed with Georgia and Berry at Nebraska. In 2014, Wisconsin failed to bring to campus four players -- three commits and one, Jamil Kamara, that wanted to transfer to the school from Virginia.
The inability to net one of those 2014 recruits, Craig Evans, an in-state defensive tackle, particularly irked Andersen.
In the Class of 2013, junior-college safety Donnell Vercher was denied admission. Over the past few years, there have been rumors and reports of other commits that did not qualify academically for Wisconsin.
Below is a listing of players that were not admitted to Wisconsin and where they went instead.
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| Player name | Position | State | Class | Where signed |
| Jordan Stevenson | Running back | Texas | 2015 | Unsigned |
| Sam Madden | Offensive tackle | New Jersey | 2015 | Georgia |
| Mohamed Berry | Linebacker | Georgia | 2015 | Nebraska |
| Chris Jones | Wide receiver | Maryland | 2014 | Toledo |
| Craig Evans | Defensive tackle | Wisconsin | 2014 | Michigan State |
| Rohan Blackwood | Defensive end | Florida | 2014 | South Florida |
| Jamil Kamara | Wide receiver | Virginia | 2014 | Cincinnati |
| Donnell Vercher | Safety | California | 2013 | Fresno State |
| D.J. Singleton | Safety | New Jersey | 2012 | Nebraska |
