Wisconsin running back recruit Gideon Ituka breaks down his game and commitment to Badgers

MADISON – The competition to land a running back for the 2024 class has been fierce, even at Running Back U. Wisconsin has offered 13 players at the position, according to 247sports. Five of those players committed to other programs. Four others, according to the site, have not included the Badgers on their official visit list. And then there is Gideon Ituka. The 5-foot-9, 220-pound back out of Gaithersburg High School in Maryland became the first player at the position to give the Badgers an oral commitment Saturday. He chose Wisconsin after compiling an offer list that included Syracuse, Boston College, Tennessee and Maryland. Ituka rushed for 1,217 yards on 174 carries, an average of 7 yards per carry, and scored 16 touchdowns last season. He also caught seven passes for 104 yards. Though Ituka announced his commitment Saturday, he declared his intention to the UW staff before the completion of his official visit, which began June 9. He delivered the news to Max Stienecker, director of player personnel, during a dinner with the visiting recruits and some of the players. “We had hibachi and I texted Max across the room from me, across the table,” Ituka recalled. “He looked at his phone. He looked at me and he was going crazy. He came over and he made the announcement and everyone just gave me that welcoming love. That was really cool. That was really dope.” Here are four factors that sold Ituka on the Badgers. UW coaches connected with his parents According to Ituka, his visit with Wisconsin took off when the coaches turned the conversation from how Ituka would fit in on the field to how he would be taken care of off it. Ituka’s parents, Fidelis and Helen, moved to the United States from Cameroon when their son was “4 or 5”. The couple have little knowledge about football. “They care more about the education and family stuff,” said Ituka, who intends to study business and management. "Once they started talking more about family and not so much about football, my parents really enjoyed that. They really liked that a lot because all coaches do is talk about football. … (The UW coaches) saying Wisconsin is not so much about football but more so about a family, they really loved that.” The spring 'game' left an impression This year marked the first time in four years that Wisconsin opened any of its practices to the pubic. The Launch, which was held April 22, was more of an open practice filled with game situations and proved to be a valuable recruiting tool with Ituka. The event drew about 10,000 fans to Camp Randall and created an atmosphere that provided a taste of the stadium's atmosphere and some insight into how the coaches will work with the players during a game. “I heard that was their first spring game in a while and I was blown away with how many fans they had out there,” Ituka said. “They showed the recruits love and just watching them practice and play during the spring game, that was really cool. Seeing how Coach (Devon) Spaulding, the running backs coach, was coaching and seeing both Braelon Allen and Chez (Mellusi) run the ball, that kind of made me want to come back for my official (visit) and see more about Wisconsin.” Jackson Acker scored an assist Ituka’s host for his official visit was Jackson Acker, the redshirt sophomore who is in the mix to be the team’s third running back after playing fullback last year. “He was really cool,” Ituka said. “He was giving it to me real straight about how Wisconsin is and he has no regrets going there. … Even though they’re a new coaching staff and they’re coming in new he pretty much told me why I should come to Wisconsin and how Wisconsin is going to help me get to the next level academically, physically and mentally.” He believes he can do the job for the Badgers Taking on the challenge of playing in the Big Ten requires a certain level of confidence and Ituka has it. The consensus three-star recruit makes no apologies for his less-than-flashy running style. His average yards per carry last season was almost a half yard better than his sophomore season. He felt a couple of areas of improved with his game last season was improved balance and more burst. “I’m more of an aggressive runner,” he said. “I have my shakes and bakes here and there, but I am more of an aggressive running back, either running through you or (using the) stiff arm. I will make you miss, but I will say my running style is really aggressive. Not many people like my running style, but it fits me very well.”