The Wisconsin Badgers have begun their 2024 season, but that doesn’t mean their recruiting efforts have taken a backseat, with a ton of focus going towards the 2026 class currently.

One of those top targets has been four-star linebacker Storm Miller, who has long been an interest of the coaching staff, with Wisconsin mainly recruiting him as an inside linebacker.

“They’ve been recruiting me more as an inside linebacker [with] Coach [Mike] Tressel, but coach Mitch (OLBs coach Matt Mitchell), he’s also been recruiting me on the outside, too, so they’ve been recruiting me like they like my versatility, so they think I can play either inside or outside,” Miller said of the Badgers.

The Ohio native’s relationship with the coaching staff dates back to Miller’s eighth grade season when defensive coordinator Mike Tressel, then at Cincinnati, went to watch him workout. Since then, the two have developed a close relationship, with the Badgers even extending Miller their first Power 4 offer.

“He’s known me since he came to a workout when I was in 8th grade and he was at Cincinnati, so I’ve known him since he was at Cincinnati, and obviously he stayed with me when he went to Wisconsin, so it means a lot,” Miller said of Tressel. “I’ve known him for almost four years now, so it’s crazy. And he definitely was, the first coach that really believed in me.”

“They (Wisconsin) were my first Power 4 offer, and he’s always been in touch with me even before I had any offers. So, I’ve been following Coach [Luke] Fickell, Coach Tressel since they were in Cincinnati. So, yeah, I’ve had that connection for a while, and when I found out they were moving to Wisconsin, you know, I thought maybe, you know, that would be it. But, I mean, it couldn’t have been more the opposite. He stayed with me and kept believing in me, and I appreciate it.”

One of the bigger changes, though, has been Fickell and Co. moving to Wisconsin and away from the in-state area for Miller. Has that changed anything in his recruitment, especially as an offer from Ohio State has come along?

“To me, it doesn’t matter,” Miller said. “Like, my brother, he’s at Clemson right now, so, you know, I feel like I’m gonna go to the place that’s best fit for me. And, you know, when it comes down, time to decide, I mean, there’s no doubt that Wisconsin, you know, is definitely gonna be up there.”

“So, to me, the whole traveling, being in Ohio, like, obviously I got the Ohio State offer this summer, but, you know, that doesn’t mean I’m not open to other things. Some kids from Ohio, you know, are strictly mindset on Ohio State, but Ohio State is a great school and, like, obviously I have good connections with coaches from them, not ruling them out, but I’m kind of similar to my brother in the way that, you know, kind of just going to go wherever fits me best, whether that’s in state or out of state.”

Early on, there are a number of standouts for Miller, with Wisconsin, Ohio State, Clemson, Stanford, West Virginia, Kentucky, Michigan State, and Missouri all pretty involved with his recruitment, but the Badgers are definitely a school recruiting him “really hard.”

With a number of schools interested in the four-star linebacker, Miller does plan to narrow down his list of schools in the near future, with the Badgers firmly in the mix.

During his junior season, the 6’3, 215-pound linebacker is looking to continue adding to his versatility, playing as a pass-rusher more, while also looking to become a better athlete.

“So this year, I’ve actually been playing more edge, but also linebacker, so, you know, really working on my pass rush and stuff, kind of just making myself more valuable, learning, and being better off the edge. [I] was already was good, but kind of just getting better in the box to kind of working against linemen.”

“And then big focus was working on my speed and quickness, which I feel like I have gotten better at, but, I mean, it’s something you can always keep getting better at. Like, I got my 40 from a 5.00 my sophomore year to like a 4.7. So really just working on my speed and quickness is definitely the big thing.”

It’ll surely be a busy junior season for the 2026 recruit with a number of schools after the Ohio native, and the linebacker will look to continue adding to his profile with another strong year playing for Strongsville High School.