PrepStar 2009 Dream Team All-American defensive lineman Jordan Kohout, from Waupun, Wis., regarded by many as the best defensive lineman in the Class of 2009, has accepted an offer to play for Wisconsin.

Kohout has already visited Iowa, unofficially for its junior day, but decided to cut all the recruiting by pledging Wisconsin when the Badgers' Brett Bielema offered as scholarship in Madison.  Kohout said that it "was a dream come true, I had followed the Badgers all my life and had dreamed of playing for them."  He added that "Iowa was very nice, and impressive, but it wasn't Wisconsin."

Jordan has excellent size with a terrific upside.  He is 6-4, weighs 265 pounds and has been timed, recently, at 4.8 seconds in the 40-yard dash.  He is a powerful force in the weight room, bench-pressing 350 pounds, squatting nearly 550 pounds and, according to coaches Rick Applin and Steve Kohout, lifting 290 pounds in the hang clean.  He also has a 29-inch vertical jump.

Jordan is an excellent student who has a 3.98 grade point average in a college prep program.  He plans to major in pharmacy in Wisconsin's highly rated pharmacy program.  His current thinking is that he will probably go for a master's degree as well.

Coach Rick Applin strongly supports Jordan's efforts.  He points out that Jordan is exceptionally coachable, and particularly aggressive in his drive to get better.  "He is focused and does all of the things that coaches want to see in an athlete who wants to go on to higher levels." 

Addressing Kohout's ability, coach Applin says that "Jordan has long arms with exceptional hands, has very good feet, which serves him well on offense or defense, and has exceptional speed for a lineman." 

Coach Applin and Jordan's father both underscore the fact that Jordan began working toward a Badger scholarship in seventh grade.  "There was never any question about what his objective was"¦he wanted to be a Badger and play in the Big Ten."

This could get even more interesting.  Jordan has a younger brother, Dylan, who is a pretty good football player as well, destined for different positions, but still a good football player. 

Jordan's commitment has really ratcheted up the excitement level for Dylan.  On the way home to Waupun from Madison, Dylan made 103 telephone calls to friends and relatives with the news. This commitment may have spawned another monster!