Badgers commit Sheppard expects to start
Three-star linebacker Dominic Sheppard of Miami (Fla.) Gulliver Prep committed to Wisconsin on July 29 and said he fully expects to start as a true freshman.
"They said I'm going to for-sure start as a freshman and I said that's all I want," the 6-foot-1, 226-pound Sheppard said. "That's my key goal as a Wisconsin Badger."
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Sheppard has never been Madison, but will take his official visit when the Badgers play Maryland on Oct. 25. A lot is riding on the visit.
"I want to see if I feel at home," he said. "If I like the campus and if I feel comfortable walking around the campus. Are they really keeping their word on what they're saying?"
If for whatever reason Sheppard's visit doesn't go as he plans, other schools could jump in the mix. He already has offers from Vanderbilt and Ohio State and named them as possibilities, and he also likes USC, though the Trojans have yet to offer.
"They said they'd probably offer," Sheppard said. "They really like me."
In the meantime, Sheppard said he talks to Badgers assistant Chris Beatty every day.
"We've been going through this process the whole way and he said he really wants me there," Sheppard said.
Sheppard hopes to have his final decision reached by January.
Sheppard finished last season with 90 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 3 sacks and 1 interception.
Adam Krohn is a Southeast Region football recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. You can click here to follow him on Twitter.