We have signed three recruits (4 if you count Zbawhatever) from Wisconsin. We are ecstatic because we are recruiting WI, they say WI didn't offer them anyway.
I think there is a lot of gamesmanship going on between Brewster and Bielema. I don't think either of them is above it. It is possible Bielema doesn't want these players and Brewster offers them to say he recruits Wisconsin. It is also possible that Bielema knows these players were also considering MN and won't offer until he knows for sure they will accept. This would prevent him from the embarrassment of losing a recruit to Brewster. (I think this is the case.) It could also be that Bielema is a douchebag who doesn't have a clue what he is doing.
Well, right out the gate, none of these kids have signed. Konrad's a great example of that. They're just committed. I think you probably just made an unintentional error in wording, but the difference between the two is pretty important here.
I think some people are "ecstatic" that we're recruiting Wisconsin, but IMHO, it's only worth what the players are worth. If these young men turn into good football players, I'll be ecstatic. The fact that they happen to be from Wisconsin is amusing to a lot of fans simply because they're hoping it will bother Badger fans. It bothers some, it doesn't bother others. Just like Minnesota fans reactions, some think this is fantastic, others think it's just normal recruiting that happens to be taking place in a rival state.
It may be a bit of gamesmanship, but I genuinely hope (and feel I have no choice but to trust) that Brewster isn't going after kids Wisconsin isn't simply to say he recruits Wisconsin. You don't build a program by simply going into rival states and picking off kids they (allegedly) don't want to prove a point. I have to believe Brewster and the staff see potential in these kids to contribute in some way down the road.
What I do think may be getting overlooked is how some of these kids, specifically Epping, are chapped about the lack of Wisconsin love for them, and may play their careers with something to prove. You can't recruit any entire class of kids based on hoping they all have something to prove, but if you find someone who you think has loads of potential and may be equipped with one of the great motivators (revenge, proving someone wrong), then you might have a diamond in the rough.
While I think Bielema is a douche on a personal level from the many accounts of his social life around Madison, as a coach, I'm sure he (and his staff) have evaluated these players plenty. While your theory of not wanting to get "beat" for a recruit may have something to it (I'm unsure at this point), I doubt it's simply because Bielema is "lazy" or "stupid" as some have speculated.
