Wisconsin locks up junior LB from TJ
One of the best players to ever put on a Wisconsin football uniform now calls Western Pennsylvania home.
Coincidentally, that’s where Wisconsin coaches found what they hope will be the next T.J. Watt.
A standout Jaguar will soon become a Badger. That would be Thomas Jefferson’s Jordan Mayer, a 6-foot-5, 235pound junior outside linebacker who made a verbal commitment to Wisconsin while on an official visit to the school this past weekend.
“It was just so surreal,” Mayer said of the visit. “It’s just a great program surrounded by special people.”
One that just landed a commitment from a special player. Mayer is an athletic kid with good speed who was an all-conference defensive end and also played tight end for Thomas Jefferson last season. Rivals ranks Mayer as a three-star prospect and the No. 24 player in the state in the class of 2023.
While no one is anointing Mayer the next T.J. Watt — or J.J. or Derek — quite yet, there are some similarities, and the comparison is something Wisconsin coaches made sure to mention.
“They made that exact reference,” Mayer said. “They recruited me to play outside linebacker, the same position. They said I resemble him and play like him, just at the high school level.”
This soon-to-be “Mayer of Madison” was previously a Boston College commit. Mayer appeared to be ACC bound after committing to Boston College in March. At the time, Mayer’s only other Power Five offers were from West Virginia and Duke. But within weeks after announcing his decision, Mayer picked up an offer from Wisconsin and decided to reopen his recruitment. Virginia Tech, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Vanderbilt have all since offered, too.
Mayer tweeted a top four of Wisconsin, West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Cincinnati June 1. He planned on visiting all the schools before making his decision on June 27, but after what he said was a great visit to Wisconsin, Mayer decided to commit sooner than expected.
“I absolutely loved it,” said Mayer, adding that the visit ended with a cookout at coach Paul Chryst’s home that included steak and cornhole.
Wisconsin coaches apparently love Mayer, too.
“Basically my grittiness and that I play to the end of the whistle. Just that Western Pa. style of football,” Mayer said.
It’s the second class in a row that Wisconsin has reeled in a top WPIAL player. PennTrafford’s Cade Yacamelli will be a freshman for the Badgers this fall. And it’s the fifth class in a row that one of
the top 25 players in
Pennsylvaniahas gone to Wisconsin.
That includes the 2021 class in which Warwick offensive tackle Nolan Rucci picked the Badgers. Rucci was a five-star prospect and the No. 1 player in the state.
Strader to Miami (Ohio)
Penn Hills junior defensive back Raion Strader committed to Miami (Ohio) last week. Strader (6-0, 175), an all-conference selection last season, also had an offer from Toledo.
Strader’s father also played college football. Aaron Strader was a standout football player and wrestler at old Westinghouse High School who played football at Duquesne.
No WPIAL or City League player in the class of 2022 committed to Miami, but three did the previous year, and all three still play for the Red Hawks — Peters Township linebacker Corban Hondru, South Fayette offensive lineman Ryan O’Hair and Plum offensive lineman Evan Azzara. All three were redshirted last season.
First offers
Several local athletes picked up their first college offers last week. The group includes Penn Hills sophomore defensive back Cameron Thomas, who received an offer from Akron. Thomas joined quarterback Julian Dugger as Penn Hills sophomores with FBS offers.
Hampton junior wide receiver Benny Haselrig was offered by Clarion. Not only was the offer Haselrig’s first, but it came from the school where his father once starred. Ken Haselrig was a star wrestler at Clarion who was an NCAA Division I runner-up in 1987. Haselrig is in the school’s sports hall of fame.
OliviaPepple, a point guard on the Penn-Trafford girls basketball team, received an offer from Fairleigh Dickinson.
Ike Taylor’s son offered
Pitt extended a scholarship offer to Ivan Taylor, a freshman cornerback from West Orange High School in Florida. Taylor’s father is Ike Taylor, the former Steelers cornerback who won two Super Bowl rings playing for the black and gold. The younger Taylor figures to be a national recruit, as he also has offers from Michigan and Mississippi.
Pitt also offered a seventhgrader. No, that’s not a typo. But Furian Inferrera isn’t your normal seventh grader. Inferrera, who attends Game Changers Sports Academy in Las Vegas, is a 6-foot-3 quarterback already considered among the best in the country in his grade. Pitt is Inferrera’s first Power Five offer.
Baseball commitment
Bethel Park’s Ryan Walsh (Penn State).