4/4/2019 football Edit

2020 WR Conner Wnek an intriguing three-sport athlete

Jon McNamara • BadgerBlitz

Editor

Jon McNamara is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has covered UW athletics since 2002 and has worked at Rivals.com since 2006.

The Wisconsin coaching staff has prioritized well-rounded athletes on the recruiting front.

That said, Conner Wnek, who excels in basketball, track and football at Kimberly (WI) High School, has the Badgers' attention as a potential wide receiver at the next level. And Thursday, the 6-foot-4, 180-pound junior took his first unofficial visit to UW.

"The visit was great." Wnek told BadgerBlitz.com. "I got a chance to head over by the receivers and watch some drills. I was greeted by Coach (Ted) Gilmore, which was awesome. I always look forward to meeting great coaches. Then, I met with Eric Johnson, the executive director of football administration. I then met with Coach (Chris) Haering, the special teams coordinator, who talked about coming to see me work out.

"Coach Jensen (Gebhardt) walked us through the walls of fame and into the locker room. I was able to see my old teammates lockers - Danny Vanden Boom, Boyd Dietzen and Logan Bruss - which was awesome. It made me feel like I was back in Kimberly with the boys. I got a chance to see the some cool stuff all connected to the locker room. For example, the salt bath, energy pod and barbershop. I made sure to take it all in, because an opportunity to visit a school like the Badgers is something all athletes dream of."

Wnek, who had 57 receptions for 984 yards and 15 touchdowns last fall, has intriguing size for a receiver. UW has an early commitment from wide out Chimere Dike in the 2020 class.

"They talked about how they loved my film and are looking for a big receiver like myself," Wnek, a first-team all-conference selection, said. "They like that I’m a three-sport athlete and a player that comes from a winning program.

"It was my first time meeting with them, so at this point I think they are pretty interested."

Outside of Wisconsin, Wnek has an offer from North Dakota with interest coming from a handful of other schools.

"I’ve been hearing from Wisconsin, Wyoming, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Eastern Kentucky, Illinois State, Lehigh, South Dakota, Colgate and more," Wnek said. "I went to North Dakota University, which extended me an offer. I also made a visit to North Dakota State University. I plan on taking a visit to Iowa State but do not have a set date yet. I also plan on going back to Wisconsin. I don’t have any other commitments as of right now, though.

"The offer from North Dakota was unbelievable. North Dakota is a great school and I really enjoyed seeing their facilities and visiting. I also loved their staff."

This spring, Wnek is excelling on the Papermakers' track and field team. He currently has the top mark in the state in the 60-meter hurdles (8.40 seconds).