When a major program loses a key recruit, Rivals.com takes a look at how big of a blow it is to the respective school, analyzing it from a local and national level. To quantify the “sting” of each decommitment, we assign a score from one to 10, with one being no big deal and 10 being a catastrophic hit.
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THE STORYLINE
Trech Kekahuna took some visits to Wisconsin over the summer and he would end up committing to the Badgers before his senior season.
It made sense. Former Honolulu (Hawaii) St. Louis teammates Nick Herbig and Kamo’i Latu hosted him in Madison, there was a significant comfort level there and he got to know the coaching staff well.
But now Paul Chryst is gone, more programs are offering Kekahuna, who’s having a phenomenal senior season at Las Vegas Bishop Gorman with 44 catches for 845 yards and 18 touchdowns so far and in recent days he decided to back off his pledge.
Kekahuna took a recent visit to Oregon and the Ducks could be really compelling. More interest and offers could be on the way.
The Badgers need playmakers on the offensive side of the ball and Kekahuna is a very talented one. Wisconsin is now down to one receiver in the class in three-star Collin Dixon out of Tallmadge, Ohio.
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LOCAL REACTION
Losing Kekahuna is a big blow to Wisconsin’s 2023 recruiting class, but one that wasn’t a shock after recent offers from UNLV, Oregon, Washington State, Utah and Arizona State. The Ducks were said to be Kekahuna’s dream program, and the three-star receiver is coming off a visit to Eugene.
With Kekahuna no longer in the picture, the Badgers have just one scholarship receiver commit in the 2023 class in three-star Collin Dixon. Wide out isn’t a huge position of need in this cycle, but Kekahuna, who earned his offer at camp this past summer, would have given UW a needed slot option and someone who could also help in the return game. Moving forward, the staff will almost certainly have to send out a new offer or two if they want to replace Kekahuna in this class. With just a few weeks left before Signing Day in December, there isn't much time to get that done. - Jon McNamara, BadgerBlitz.com
Sting factor: 8
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NATIONAL REACTION
This one hurts because Kekahuna is a lethal slot receiver who has speed, athleticism, playmaking ability and versatility so not having him be part of Wisconsin’s class as the Badgers need some dynamic options on offense does hurt. But the Badgers still have a little bit of time before the early signing period - weeks in the recruiting world seems like an eternity - to get involved with others. With the senior season Kekahuna is having at powerhouse Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, he’s going to be a welcome addition wherever he ends up and right now that looks like Oregon. - Adam Gorney, National Recruiting Director
Sting factor: 7
