Three-Star Recruit Luke Emmerich Selected Wisconsin

© Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Athlete Luke Emmerich, a three-star recruit out of Minnesota, announced his commitment to play for the Wisconsin Badgers in 2025.

Who Is Luke Emmerich?

Emmerich currently plays football for Monticello High School located in Monticello, Minnesota. In addition to Wisconsin, he has offers from several other Big Ten schools such as Nebraska, Washington, USC, and Minnesota. Emmerich is listed as an athlete for his position and the number six overall recruit in Minnesota for the 2025 recruiting cycle.

What Is The Impact On Wisconsin?

Last year was an up-and-down season for Wisconsin under first-year defensive coordinator Mike Tressel. The Badgers' defense finished the season ranked sixth in the Big Ten in points allowed per game at 20.2, tied for eighth with 29 sacks, and tied for third with 13 interceptions. While these are respectable statistics, the lack of a pass rush was glaring at times, and the defense gave up too many explosive plays, with 160 plays  going for 10 or more yards, tied for 43rd nationally. Some of this can be attributed to a change in Wisconsin's offensive approach under Luke Fickell, yet it was still a significant drop from a defense that ranked 16th in this category in 2023 and led the nation in 2022.

Wisconsin returns several key contributors in its secondary, led by junior cornerback Ricardo Hallman and senior safety Hunter Wohler. Hallman was named to the first-team All-Big Ten defensive team and won the "Cornerback of the Year" award. Wohler was named to the third-team All-Big Ten defensive team, but any Badger fan knows he played at the same level as Hallman and should have been on the first team as well.

With this commitment, the Badgers now have the 28th-rated class for 2025 according to On3. Since arriving at Wisconsin, Fickell has emphasized strengthening the secondary, as evidenced by these four-star recruits:

• 2023: Safety Braedyn Moore and cornerback Amare Snowden

• 2024: Safety Xavier Lucas and cornerback Omillio Agard

• 2025: Cornerback Jaimier Scott

Although Emmerich has played various positions in high school, such as quarterback and wide receiver, the expectation is he will be another solid addition to a secondary group that is becoming more talented by the year.

Scouting Luke Emmerich

At 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, Emmerich has the build the Badgers are looking for to compete against the taller wide receivers commonly found in the Big Ten. Emmerich also has the speed to cover ground quickly, as demonstrated by his 10.69-second time in the 100-yard dash this spring. He shows a willingness to tackle but occasionally needs to improve the angles he takes when attacking a ball carrier.

Given the talent Wisconsin recently added in the secondary, it will be tempting to consider another position group, such as wide receiver, for Emmerich to play in his freshman year. His best fit is at safety, and he should be the perfect replacement for Wohler in 2025. Look for Emmerich to get some playing time on special teams and later in the year on defense, but Wisconsin will ensure he doesn't lose his eligibility to be redshirted.

Ceiling - Hunter Wohler 2.0

Floor - Transfers out of the program after his first season.