Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga athlete Dean Engram has been trending towards Wisconsin for a couple months but last weekend's official visit really put the Badgers over the top. Engram's commitment to Wisconsin pushes the Badgers back into the top 20 of the Rivals.com team rankings.

IN HIS OWN WORDS…

"They’ve been involved in my recruitment from early on," Engram said. "Some schools faded but Wisconsin has always stood out to me because they run a pro-style defense, they have great academics, and I’ve had a great time with the players on my unofficial and official visits. They checked all the boxes for me when it comes to school and football.

"I’ve had great conversations with coach Leonhard," he said. "We've gone into his meeting room and watched film for about an hour. He showed me film of guys that are similar to me that have been through the program and that was really important to me. Coach Chryst and I have had great interactions. I’m really comfortable with him and we can talk about more than football. Every other coach on the staff has had really positive interactions with me.

"I’m close with Madison Cone," said Engram. "I spent a lot of time with him on my unofficial visits. He was kind of my host. Eric Burrell is from the area and I was with him during my official visit this past weekend. I've had a lot of good conversations with Chris Orr and Jonathan Taylor. I'm trying to go into the business school there and they really broke down the steps for me and how to do that. They told me about the offseason schedule and how the games are. We went on a boat ride and just had a good time."

RIVALS' REACTION…

Engram is a great fit for Wisconsin and what they do on defense. He a very instinctual player with great anticipation and he always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Engram can play corner, nickel, and play a role in the return game and that versatility will pay dividends for Wisconsin. It could be a year or two before Engram sees the field but the strength and conditioning staff will go to work on him.