Eric Mateos, Badgers Crack Final Four for Another Top OL Prospect
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New Wisconsin offensive line Eric Mateos coach continues to prove he's not messing around on the recruiting trail.
Sure, he just lost out on a top target, consensus four-star offensive tackle Cameron Wagner (who just committed to Oregon), but new offensive line coach Eric Mateos has Wisconsin's offensive line recruiting trending in an extremely positive direction.
Wisconsin recently made the top four for a highly sought-after offensive lineman from Ohio, Reed Gerkin. He'll announce his decision on June 22.
BREAKING: ELITE ('27) OT Reed Gerkin is down to 4 schools and is set to commit 6/22, he tells me for @247sports.
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Gerkin attends Perrysburg HS in OH. He is a top 3 OT in Ohio.
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Where should Reed go? pic.twitter.com/0SNbZA5cbq– Riley Alberts (@CfbRalb) May 10, 2026
Gerkin is a consensus three-star prospect, but don't let that alone inform your opinion on the lineman. He holds over 30 offers, the majority of which come from Power Four programs. Alongside his finalists of Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, Illinois and Kentucky, he lists scholarships from the likes of Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisville, among many others.
Gerkin would be the cherry on top for Mateos in 2027, who's already done an excellent job on the recruiting trail a few months into his tenure in Madison.
What adding Gerkin would mean for UW
Gerkin would be Wisconsin's fifth offensive lineman in the 2027 cycle, and his hypothetical commitment would likely put a bow on the position for the Badgers.
Gerkin himself is a 6-foot-5, 290-pound lineman who played left tackle for Perrysburg High School as a junior. He displayed a penchant for finishing blocks by pancaking defenders, often a ways away from the actual play. His physicality and nastiness are certainly one of the things that drew the Badgers – who are trying to re-establish their identity as a run-it-down-your-throat team – to him.
Still, I see a guard at the the Big Ten level when I pop on Gerkin's tape. It's unsurprising that Perrysburg simply wanted its best offensive lineman at the blindside tackle spot, but considering his relatively shorter stature but also the power he generates from his lower body and his ability to get out in space and pull block, Gerkin projects as an interior lineman for me.
Of course, his body has plenty of time to develop before he gets to college and things change once players get to campus. But right now, I'd pencil Gerkin in on the interior, which would give the Badgers three potential interior offensive linemen in their 2027 class alongside the Mallinger twins.
Mateos' hot streak
Mateos has done a tremendous job as a recruiter in Madison. He's landed the commitment of Hunter and Reece Mallinger, as well as four-star offensive tackle Cole Reiter. He also kept the Badgers' very first commit in the 2027 cycle, Ethan McIntosh, on board through a coaching change and his father's (Chris McIntosh) departure from Wisconsin.
Mateos has already done a stellar job, and of course, he hasn't sealed the deal yet with Gerkin, who could be a Kentucky lean. But simply getting the Badgers into these final four lists with elite prospects such as Wagner and Gerkin is a big win for Wisconsin in and of itself. Perception is everything on the recruiting trail, and Mateos isn't messing around. He may not be landing all the big fish quite yet, but he's got the Badgers well-positioned for the future.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/wisconsin as Eric Mateos, Badgers Crack Final Four for Another Top OL Prospect .
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