Transfer tight end Ryan Schwendeman sees a 'perfect fit' with Wisconsin football
Inside a midnight signing and why this former FCS tight end plans to head up to Madison shortly.
Ryan Schwendeman couldn’t wait to sign with the University of Wisconsin football program.
So much so he did it during the early minutes of Sunday morning.
Schwendeman, who previously played at Southern Illinois, arrived in Madison on Friday night and took an official visit Saturday. A day full of football meetings included conversations with tight ends coach Nate Letton and offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes, but there were also times set aside to show him apartments and talk with support staff such as his potential academic advisor and director of football administration Monique Felix.
Schwendeman made the call to shut down his recruiting process early, even with interest from other Power Four schools.
“It was probably between 12:01 a.m. and 12:10 (Sunday morning), sometime in there,” Schwendeman said. “We got back late, so I was still up.
“Me and my girlfriend were excited. We got back and the first thing we did, we started playing “Jump Around,” trying to learn all the words. … We were excited to stay up and sign it.”
Word spread Sunday that Schwendeman would join the Badgers, and the program announced his signing Monday. He’s part of an already large class of incoming transfers who will return to Madison shortly to begin the spring semester, and he also holds connections to Wisconsin assistant wide receivers coach Blake Rolan and quarterback Hunter Simmons.
