Wisconsin football added a commitment on Saturday from Omillio Agard, a four-star cornerback from Philadelphia. Here’s what you need to know:
- Agard is the No. 30 cornerback in the nation, per the 247Sports Composite.
- He earned more than 30 scholarship offers and chose Wisconsin over Clemson, Penn State and Tennessee. Agard had offers from eight Big Ten programs, as well as Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame and USC.
- Agard is the 15th publicly committed prospect in Wisconsin’s 2024 recruiting class, including the eighth since official visits began in June.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What does this mean for Wisconsin?
There’s no doubt about it: This is a big pickup for the Badgers. Agard becomes the second-highest-rated cornerback for Wisconsin during the internet recruiting rankings era behind only Brett Bell in 2001. Agard now gives Wisconsin four-star cornerbacks in back-to-back recruiting classes after Amare Snowden signed in the 2023 class. That’s the type of talent that Wisconsin hasn’t often landed at the position but something the Badgers’ new coaching staff clearly is making a priority.
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Agard was recruited by Wisconsin safeties coach Colin Hitschler when Hitschler was at Cincinnati under Luke Fickell. The Bearcats extended a scholarship offer to Agard in January 2022, and Wisconsin’s previous coaching staff later offered Agard in March 2022. But Agard did not see Wisconsin’s campus until taking an official visit in June.
“They wowed me,” Agard said. “That’s all I can really say. They’d been keeping in touch when they were at Cincinnati and making sure they stayed in touch because they knew they weren’t going to get me at Cincinnati. I took a visit to Wisconsin. They showed me the place, and I believe in Coach Fick because he did it with Cincinnati, so he can do it at Wisconsin.”
Hitschler, a Philadelphia native, deserves major credit for his recruiting efforts in the state of Pennsylvania for Wisconsin’s 2024 class. He has helped the Badgers collect four commitments from Pennsylvania prospects: offensive linemen Kevin Heywood and Ryan Cory, safety Kahmir Prescott and Agard. Wisconsin last had three signees from the state in 2002 and has not had four in one class during the online recruiting rankings era, which dates to 1999.
“They’re doing a great job in my state,” Agard said. “And it all makes sense because he’s from Philly, and he understands where we’re coming from. He’s done a great job and he’s a big part of why I love Wisconsin.”
How Agard fits with the Badgers
Agard said Wisconsin’s new coaching staff ramped up its recruitment of him soon after they arrived. Hitschler visited Agard in January, and cornerbacks coach Paul Haynes later visited him as well. Agard said he fits into defensive coordinator Mike Tressel’s system because of his versatility, which allows him to play the boundary or field corner spot, as well as the nickel role.
“They really don’t know yet until I get there and they’ll see which one I do the best at,” Agard said. “I can do all of those positions. But there’s a lot of man, and I’m a man corner more than anything. But I can also switch up to Cover 1, Cover 2, Cover 3, Cover 4, Cover 6, Cover 7, Cover 9. And they run a lot of different coverages, and they do a lot in the defense that can schematically mess with the quarterback and confuse him. So I feel like that fits me because I do that now at my high school.”
Agard comes from a dominant St. Joseph’s Prep School program that has won four state championships in the past five seasons and crushed Harrisburg 42-7 to win the title again in December. Agard earned his first varsity start as a freshman in 2020 during the team’s state championship game, in which St. Joseph’s hammered Central York 62-13. Two of his teammates that season were quarterback Kyle McCord and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who play for Ohio State.
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Agard, who is 5-feet-10 and 165 pounds, finished his sophomore season with 35 tackles, 15 pass breakups, three interceptions and two forced fumbles. He added 14 pass breakups as a junior and has yet to allow a touchdown in his varsity career. He said he began training at 10 years old with former Temple defensive back Keita Crespina and learned the intricacies of playing the position.
“If you watch my film, my technique stands out more than my athletic ability,” Agard said. “I’m very explosive, but I can stick with somebody. Nobody’s going to route me up. That’s very rare. And I know so much about the game. I studied so much film and I just love the game. So I know a lot that a lot of people don’t know. And I know little things that can help you throughout playing the game. I’d say my IQ and my technique really sets me apart from anybody.”
Wisconsin has two cornerback commitments in the class with Agard and Jay Harper (Valley, Ala.). Cornerback Vernon Woodward initially committed to Wisconsin but flipped to Illinois. The Badgers have four four-star prospects in the 2024 class with Agard, Heywood, tight end Grant Stec and quarterback Mabrey Mettauer.
Although Agard waited to publicly announce his commitment until his 18th birthday, he committed in Fickell’s office on June 10 during his official visit with his mom, dad, two sisters and brother present.
“He was happy,” Agard said. “He was hyped. He was like, ‘You’re the missing piece that Wisconsin hasn’t had in a long time with being a cornerback because we have to play Ohio State’ and stuff. He was like, ‘This is going to be the best class we’ve ever had. Let’s do it.’”
Required reading
(Photo: Courtesy of Omillio Agard)
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