Over 20 schools offered Sean Timmis a scholarship during the course of his recruitment.
But the chance to stay close to home and attend school at Wisconsin was too much for the in-state offensive lineman to pass on. Thursday, the 6-foot-5, 265-pound senior from Marquette University accepted a preferred walk-on offer from the Badgers, becoming the first walk-on commit for UW in the 2020 class.
"After all the camps were finished, Coach (Chris) Haering and I had a conversation and he told me I performed very well at camp and they loved my attitude," Timmis told BadgerBlitz.com. "But they already had five linemen committed, so he told me that I definitely had a preferred walk-on spot with them.
"I love that it’s close to home. I also have great relationships with Coach (Joe) Rudolph and Coach Haering. Also, if I set football aside, I would most likely be going to Wisconsin because it’s a great school with great people. Finally, I just love the way they play football."
Timmis, who attend UW's first camp of the summer on June 1, joins an impressive offensive line class for Wisconsin that also includes Jack Nelson, Trey Wedig, Dylan Barrett, Ben Barten and Tanor Bortolini. He is projected to play guard or center when he arrives on campus.
"I really just believed that Wisconsin was the best mix of a great education and great football," Timmis said. "I loved every visit I had there and I believed it would provide me with a great opportunity to excel in the classroom and prepare me for a career in the business world while being close to home.
"I really liked a lot of my Ivy League and Patriot League opportunities. I also was considering Temple, Northern Illinois and Buffalo."
In the 2020 class, the Badgers have also extended preferred walk-on offers to cornerback Amaun Williams, linebacker Ross Gengler, kicker Jack Van Dyke and long snapper Duncan McKinley. Timmis, who helped the Hilltoppers to a 12-1 record this past fall, is excited to put the recruiting process behind him in order to focus on his senior season.
"It’s a relief," he said. "I know I’m going to a place where I’ll be happy and my parents can come watch my games. I’m ready to focus on a huge senior season.
"The coaches were pumped when I committed. They told me they could not be more excited to have me and believe I have a real chance to earn playing time while getting a great education."
From Marquette head coach Jeffrey Mazurczak:
"Sean is a very intentional, fierce and strong run blocker who finishes very well. As a junior, he was just as good as Jon Gaines, who we sent to UCLA. Sean gives you everything physically, and along with that comes a package of leadership that will make him stand out on that roster."
