MADISON, Wis. — It's signing day for college football.
Franklin Quarterback Myles Burkett and Whitefish Bay offensive lineman Joe Brunner are both signing with Wisconsin.
Tight end Jerry Cross of Rufus King is going with Penn State.
"It's pretty special. Especially with a guy like that, who'll have an opportunity to go there and play early," Brunner says. "He's a special talent and to be best friends with him, is pretty cool, for sure."
"Officially, a Wisconsin Badger. Myles Burkett," Franklin Athletic Director Jordan Hein says.
"Really was my plan A and I really wasn't looking for any plan B," Burkett says. "It's what I worked for the whole time and when the opportunity finally came, that's what I chose."
"A sense of relief for sure," Brunner says. "It's a like a big boulder is being lifted off my shoulders. It's a long process."
"I'm just focused on getting there and producing, so I can possibly go to the NFL and raise my draft stock," Cross says.
Cross considers this a blessing because this season he didn't play a lot due to an injured ankle. The year before Rufus King couldn't play due to COVID-19 and health protocol restrictions.
"I only played two and a half years here at King," Cross says. "I played my freshman and sophomore year. My freshman year I did alright, but I was pretty, like doubted a lot so I didn't do that much. Sophomore year, I showed out. That's what got me on the radar."
Burkett and Brunner will be Badger brothers.
"If you were a Bucks fan, you saw us down at the Deer District together. Getting hyped," Burkett says. "Chest bumping and stuff. I flew back a little bit. I'm not really all of 315 of what he is but yeah, that's my guy. I'm really excited. He's one of those guys where he's in his recruitment process, I was like, you can't leave me man, you can't leave me! When he committed I was really happy. That's a guy who (is) probably going to be standing up in my wedding one day so I'm really excited that I get to play with him."
The Badgers recruiting class is ranked 43rd in the nation but just 11th in the Big Ten by 24/7 sports, but as we've seen before, Wisconsin usually does better than what the experts think.
