A hectic year of recruiting had a peaceful resolution for University of Wisconsin football coach Bret Bielema Wednesday.

"I've probably never been more relaxed on signing day," Bielema said after unveiling a class of 24 scholarship recruits. "I believe all of our signees were in by 10 o'clock this morning, which is kind of a record.

"(Tuesday) night, I only had to make one phone call to a young man we felt was wavering a little bit. I think it's an indication of them feeling good about us, us feeling good about them. We recruited them the right way, told them the truth all the way through and, hopefully, it pans out into something."

Bielema did some research for recruiting analysts who don't rank this class that highly.

Rivals.com, for example, currently ranks it No. 41 nationally and sixth among Big Ten Conference teams.

He said last year's group of seniors, who helped the Badgers finish No. 24 in the Associated Press poll, were ranked No. 47 as a recruiting class by the top national recruiting service. The seniors that helped the Badgers finish 12-1 and No. 7 in 2006 were ranked 50th as freshmen by at least one recruiting service.

"I would tell the recruiting experts, I would rather have our rankings in December and January, than (theirs in) February," Bielema said.

The class Bielema unveiled addressed serious needs in both lines and the secondary.

At least five of the recruits are defensive linemen, led by Tyler Westphal of Menasha, the top recruit in the state and the highest-ranked player in the class by most recruiting services.

Defensive tackle Dan Moore is the first junior-college transfer signed by the Badgers since linebacker Alex Lewis and kicker Scott Campbell in 2002. Moore will be expected to help right away at one of the thinnest positions on the team.

"You'd obviously like to have a bunch of giant D-tackles that you know can play right away, but those are hard to find," defensive coordinator Dave Doeren said. "Eriks Briedis is obviously a developmental guy, but one that you'd like to develop. He's an athlete that's 6-6.

"All three D-ends are 6-5 or taller and can run. As you can see, Dan Moore is a pretty well-built kid for 282 pounds, there's no fat on the guy."

There are five defensive backs, plus T.J. Williams, a wide receiver from Kenosha Bradford who could also wind up in the secondary.

The Badgers also signed five offensive lineman, including Christopher Garner, from Augusta, who was not previously listed among the known commitments.

Quarterback Curt Phillips is one of four recruits already enrolled and on campus, along with tight end Jake Byrne, offensive lineman Jake Current and Moore.

Much is expected of Phillips, a dual-threat quarterback who ranks just behind Westphal in terms of national rankings.

Bielema was at a national coaches' convention in Dallas a year ago when a high school coach he knew told him he had to watch a DVD of a prep quarterback, who turned out to be Phillips.

"So, I looked at it, but I never know what a quarterback looks like," Bielema said. "Every time I like one, (offensive coordinator) Paul (Chryst) doesn't like him, or vice versa. I liked the DVD so I grabbed it and took it, I didn't want anybody else to see it, because there were 15,000 coaches down there."

That's just one of what Bielema said were several unique stories in this class. Another is Byrne, who is from Rogers, Ark., but grew up a Badgers fan because his dad used to live in Wisconsin and his grandfather is still here.

Byrne sent a tape to the UW coaches after the Capital One Bowl a year ago and Chryst liked what he saw and recruited him.

"We probably go after guys that fit our program, academically, athletically and socially," Bielema said. "We don't care who's recruiting them. We don't care who's not recruiting them. All we care about, if we evaluate on film, that we like them, they're an academic fit and they're a social fit. (Then) we go after them."