Defensive tackle from Ohio will not join Wisconsin football program due to personal reasons

One of them isn’t coming.

Drayden Pavey, a defensive tackle from Taft High School in Cincinnati, did not enroll for personal reasons, a University of Wisconsin communications spokesman said on July 23 when Fickell was asked about the status of the 6-foot-3, 294-pound prospect.

Pavey committed to the Badgers on Oct. 22. He initially committed to Purdue but decommitted from the Boilermakers two days before pledging to Wisconsin. He is considered a three-star prospect by Rivals, 247sports, ESPN and On3.

“It’s a shame. With all the things going on in college football we forget there is a human side of things…,” Fickell said. “There’s off shoots of individual, humanistic sides of things. There’s kids that lose their way as well and so some things aren’t always the best.”

Sep 7, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers mascot Bucky Badger runs onto the field prior to the game against the South Dakota Coyotes at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The loss of Pavey leaves UW with two incoming freshmen interior linemen in its 2025 class: Torin Pettaway and Xavier Ukponu, who both enrolled early and participated in spring practice.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Defensive tackle from Ohio will not join Wisconsin football program due to personal reasons