Pipp lands Wisconsin offer

Greendale, Wisc., three-star linebacker Tristian Pipp has been waiting on his first Big Ten offer, and it came Tuesday night from his home state Wisconsin Badgers.

"I was at my uncle's basketball game and got a text from my football coach saying to call Wisconsin right now," Pipp said. "I called Coach (Chris) Haering and me and him started talking.

"He was just telling me about how they as a whole defensive group was able to sit down and check out my film. They called in Coach Chryst and were finally able to make a decision on what kind of player I am. I received an offer from Coach Haering and was able to talk to Coach (Joe) Rudolph and Coach (Paul) Chryst."

In the immediate aftermath of receiving the the offer, Pipp gave his reaction to the news.

"I don't know how to describe it," he said. "It has always been a dream of mine to be able to say that Wisconsin Football is interested in me as a player. Just the tradition they have and how everyone rallies and supports them, it's almost as if everyone is behind me supporting me and it's a great feeling."

Pipp is well-versed in that football tradition, growing up in the Badger State and following Wisconsin Football from a young age.

"My whole life, since I was a little kid, I was dressed in the Badger's outfits," Pipp said. "It is very humbling to be recognized as a potential player for them.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Pipp is rated three-stars and ranked nationally among the top outside linebackers in the 2016 class. He was able to get some feedback from the Wisconsin staff about what they liked after watching his film.

"They like how I play with a lot of passion and am not afraid to stick my nose in and take a hit," Pipp said. "They like how I am always aggressive and get in there."

With the offer still fresh, Pipp is taking it in and processing how this will affect his recruitment.

"I'm still looking around, trying to see who else might be interest," Pipp said. "But this has been, by far, the biggest impact (on my recruitment). It changes the game, but I'm still looking around trying to find somewhere that can suit me best and go from there."

The Wisconsin coaching staff has asked Pipp to visit Madison on Feb. 28 and he is working to clear his schedule to make that happen.

Prior to the Wisconsin offer, Pipp had been offered by Buffalo, Western Michigan and Illinois State. He has also received mail from Ohio State recently inviting him down for a visit.