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Wisconsin’s football recruiting net for the 2024 class eventually covered 13 states

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Wisconsin’s football recruiting net for the 2024 class eventually covered 13 states


MADISON – As Luke Fickell pondered the geographical composition of his first full recruiting class at Wisconsin, he was struck by the number of states UW’s staff hit.

Thirteen.

“I think that to me is a bit unique,” Fickell said Wednesday after UW signed 22 players for the 2024 class. “As I walked in the door here a year ago, I would have said we’re going to be regionalized in a lot of ways. We’ll make sure our footprint is in the Big Ten.

“But then where else does the brand really reach? This is my first (full) go-around and to see how strong the brand really is and to stretch over 13 different states, with a lot of really, really good football players, guys we targeted for a long time, I see how strong this brand is.”

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UW on Wednesday signed four players from Illinois; three apiece from Wisconsin, Maryland and Pennsylvania; and one each from Florida, Minnesota, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Alabama, South Dakota, Hawaii and Tennessee.

“The ability to go across the United States and find the players we need to be successful in doing the things we want to do is really, really impressive,” Fickell said.

Some highlights from Wednesday involving UW’s 2024 class:

Bolstering Wisconsin’s defensive line was critical and Ernest Willor Jr. should help

The Badgers saw ends Rodas Johnson and Darian Varner enter the transfer portal this week, with Johnson going on Monday and Varner on Wednesday.

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Johnson leaves with 22 starts, including 12 this season. Varner played in 10 games after transferring to UW from Temple.

In addition, Gio Paez is set to leave after the bowl game. Ditto for Isaiah Mullens. Paez has started six of 12 games this season. Mullens, who entered the season with 10 starts, suffered a knee injury in camp and has not played this season.

UW signed three players on Wednesday: tackle Dillan Johnson of Illinois, end Hank Weber of Tennessee and end Ernest Willor Jr. of Maryland.

The Badgers have offered several players in the transfer portal.

Willor, 6-3 and 255, chose UW over Maryland but had offers from Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame and others.

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“You see a guy that is just scratching the surface,” Fickell said of Willor. “I know he’s got a lot of talent and he is a highly ranked guy. But when you look at him, (he) is a guy that in another year-and-a-half or a year, I think will be completely different.

“What he provides when he walks in the door is going to be a little bit different than what we have. But what he could be in another year, year-and-a-half gives us a chance to go to the next level.”

More: Former UW wide receiver Chimere Dike will rejoin his former quarterback at Florida

Former Wisconsin lineman Casey Rabach beaming after the Badgers sign five of a kind

Five of the 22 players who signed Wednesday were offensive linemen.

That development pleased Casey Rabach, UW’s director of scouting.

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“I think the tradition here obviously sells itself,” Rabach said. “Coach talks about our brand nationwide. Obviously, the offensive line and the success we’ve had here year in and year out sells to that.

“And then I think you’ve got to show them how they fit. How do you envision (each) individual to carry on that legacy?”

Rabach is a perfect ambassador to talk about the history of UW’s offensive linemen. He was a standout center at UW from 1996-2000 and played 10 seasons in the NFL.

“That is one of the plusses I bring to this group,” he said. “The history that I have had at Wisconsin and the process that I went through – the recruiting cycle and through the college years and then onto the NFL…

“I think any time we can speak of personal experiences from the past, I think that pays huge dividends with how to help these kids through the process.”

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More: Chez Mellusi returning to Wisconsin Badgers for 2024 season

More: With Braelon Allen off to the NFL, Jackson Acker ready to carry a heavy load for UW

Did Badgers hit it big at running back?

Running backs Darrion Dupree, Dilin Jones and Gideon Ituka all signed Wednesday as the staff worked to build a foundation for the offensive backfield for 2024 and beyond.

“We knew from the jump that was a priority,” said Max Stienecker, director of player personnel. “That is the fortunate part of being at this place with the history and tradition here. At Wisconsin you’re going to bring in the best back in the country. So you’ve got an opportunity to recruit the best of the best.

“We did our due diligence and evaluated and we thought the three that we have are some of the best in the country.”

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Down to the wire for Xavier Lucas, Rob Booker

Cornerback Xavier Lucas, a cornerback from Fort Lauderdale, committed to UW in August. He recently took a visit to Miami but maintained his commitment and signed with UW on Wednesday.

Pat Lambert, UW’s director of recruiting, explained the staff’s final pitch to Lucas.

“You’ve just got to remind him of the relationship piece and not get cloudy about schools trying to push toward the end,” Lambert said. “Remind him why he chose this place in the first place, what’s really important to him.

“I think that helped us to get it done.”

Waunakee tight end Rob Booker committed to UW on Jan. 31, de-committed on June 21, committed to UCLA the next day but on Wednesday signed with UW.

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“I think he got pulled in different directions and had second thoughts,” Stienecker said. “And as the season progressed he began to understand: ‘I can accomplish everything in my backyard, right here at Wisconsin.’

“You want to play for a top-10 program, you want to play at a top-10 academic institution, you want to play in the No. 1 college town in America, you want to play for the best coach in America, you can do all those things right here.”



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Wisconsin Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Oct. 20, 2025

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Wisconsin Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Oct. 20, 2025


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The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Oct. 20, 2025, results for each game:

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Winning Powerball numbers from Oct. 20 drawing

32-38-66-67-69, Powerball: 19, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Oct. 20 drawing

Midday: 0-2-9

Evening: 6-0-3

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Pick 4 numbers from Oct. 20 drawing

Midday: 5-7-7-8

Evening: 9-3-8-5

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning All or Nothing numbers from Oct. 20 drawing

Midday: 01-05-07-09-13-15-16-17-18-20-21

Evening: 04-05-08-09-10-13-14-16-17-20-21

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Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Badger 5 numbers from Oct. 20 drawing

01-02-09-14-31

Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning SuperCash numbers from Oct. 20 drawing

05-08-14-20-22-24, Doubler: N

Check SuperCash payouts and previous drawings here.

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Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

  • Prizes up to $599: Can be claimed at any Wisconsin Lottery retailer.
  • Prizes from $600 to $199,999: Can be claimed in person at a Lottery Office. By mail, send the signed ticket and a completed claim form available on the Wisconsin Lottery claim page to: Prizes, PO Box 777 Madison, WI 53774.
  • Prizes of $200,000 or more: Must be claimed in person at the Madison Lottery office. Call the Lottery office prior to your visit: 608-261-4916.

Can Wisconsin lottery winners remain anonymous?

No, according to the Wisconsin Lottery. Due to the state’s open records laws, the lottery must, upon request, release the name and city of the winner. Other information about the winner is released only with the winner’s consent.

When are the Wisconsin Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Super Cash: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
  • Pick 3 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
  • Pick 3 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
  • Pick 4 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
  • Pick 4 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
  • All or Nothing (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
  • All or Nothing (Evening): 9 p.m. CT daily.
  • Megabucks: 9:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Badger 5: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.

That lucky feeling: Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Feeling lucky? WI man wins $768 million Powerball jackpot **

WI Lottery history: Top 10 Powerball and Mega Million jackpots

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Wisconsin editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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Wisconsin hatchery owner sees seasonal avian flu as the ‘new normal’

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Wisconsin hatchery owner sees seasonal avian flu as the ‘new normal’


Birds from a backyard chicken flock in Racine were recent casualties in a string of bird flu cases in Wisconsin this year. The birds were killed to prevent spreading the disease further. 

Dr. Darlene Konkle, state veterinarian from the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” that the highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, is expected to spread more as wild birds continue migrating through the fall. 

“Right now, we’re not at the peaks we were last year,” Konkle said. “We’ve seen an uptick in cases across the country, particularly in the northern tier of states, in the past few weeks. And of course, we’re going into the fall season, which is peak migration for a lot of wild waterfowl.” 

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Konkle said avian influenza can be fatal to all birds and spreads rapidly. Cows are also susceptible to avian flu, although so far this year, no cows in Wisconsin have tested positive, as has happened in 18 other states. 

Konkle said keeping cows and other animals safe from bird flu in Wisconsin requires strict adherence to biosecurity measures and heightened awareness of the risks of the disease. 

“We’re really encouraging flock and livestock owners in general to keep good biosecurity practices in place,” Konkle said. “Steps can be really simple, like washing hands and keeping equipment clean, or more complicated, like having an employee shower in and out.”

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Konkle said backyard flock owners should pay attention to bird flu symptoms in their flock like sneezing, a drop in egg production, a drop in feed and water intake, and sudden death. Other signs and precautions can be found on the DATCP website. 

Nick Levendoski, owner of Sunnyside Hatchery in Beaver Dam and president of the Wisconsin Poultry and Egg Industries Association, also joined “Wisconsin Today” to explain how avian flu has affected the hatchery industry. 

The following was edited for clarity and brevity.

Rob Ferrett: How does your work differ from what someone might think of as a typical chicken farm?

Nick Levendoski: Well, there’s a lot of things different at the hatchery versus a typical chicken farm. For one: We’re a very seasonal operation. We hatch chicks 52 weeks a year, but right now is certainly the lowest amount of volume that we’re hatching out. But we’ve got our sights set on the spring when we really get to start ramping up for the folks that want to get their baby chicks for Easter time, and their traditional meat birds for next spring. 

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RF: On a practical level, what does “biosecurity” mean? What kind of measures are you taking above and beyond what you usually do?

NL: A lot of farmers that work with us are Amish folks. It’s not advised to visit your neighbor’s chicken operation. Certainly there’s no exchanging of birds between one premise to another. And also, our (workers) are not to have backyard poultry of their own. There’s just too much vulnerability there, having backyard birds, and then doing the daily chores in the breeder flocks. 

So it’s just about increasing the awareness for people. And then higher numbers of dip pans, bleach at doorways and stuff like that. All those precaution areas certainly are heightened more so than they have in the past, especially the last five or six years when avian influenza became a real issue versus a theoretical one.

But we also do all-in, all-out on these flocks. So birds stay in production for a little over a year, and then we get rid of that flock, and we start with a brand new flock every year. So we don’t have older birds communicating with younger birds or transmitting any types of diseases. 

RF: We saw at least one positive bird flu case in a Racine backyard flock. There’s concerns that wild birds might spread the disease to domestic birds. What do you tell your customers who are newer to keeping poultry? 

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NL: The main thing is just to keep the interaction between wild birds and their domestic birds at a minimum. That’s the biggest one. And then also understand that birds seasonally have mild colds. They do have some mild respiratory issues associated with backyard flocks. But if you see your birds not eating, egg production falling off the wagon, and especially unexpected or higher than normal mortality, get on the phone with DATCP. Call your veterinarian. Let’s get the wheels in motion because it’s important to get that communicated so you’re not putting anybody else’s flocks at risk. 

RF: As the president of the Wisconsin Poultry and Egg Industries Association, what are you hearing from members of that organization? 

NL: We’ve grown a bit accustomed to these flare-ups. It always seems to coincide with birds migrating. So it’s becoming more of a concern. Before, it was more theoretical; “Let’s try to keep that out of our flocks.” And now, even with these increased biosecurity measures, there still are commercial flocks that are vulnerable. You still have employees that can bring in the virus on their boots, or through air ducts. There’s a lot of different vectors that you have minimal control over. I guess we’re just growing accustomed to reacting when it hits, but I think it’s becoming the new normal.



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TV channel, kickoff time announced for Wisconsin’s Week 9 game at Oregon

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TV channel, kickoff time announced for Wisconsin’s Week 9 game at Oregon


The Wisconsin Badgers and Oregon Ducks will kick off at 7 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. CT from Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, next Saturday. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1.

Wisconsin enters the game at 2-5 following a 34-0 loss to Ohio State in Week 7. The team has lost five straight games since starting the season 2-0, the last two by a combined margin of 71-0. After Saturday’s loss, Wisconsin still hasn’t defeated a Power Four opponent since a 23-3 win over Northwestern on Oct. 19, 2024.

Oregon, on the other hand, currently sits within the nation’s top 10 following its blowout win over Rutgers in Week 8. The team is 6-1 (3-1 Big Ten) through seven games, the one loss coming to the No. 3-ranked and undefeated Indiana Hoosiers.

Wisconsin is sure to be a significant underdog when it travels west next weekend. A night-game environment at Autzen Stadium should make a potential upset bid even more difficult.

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