Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports  

Over the past three years TJ Bollers has watched his recruiting stock soar with scholarship offers pouring in from many of the top college football programs in the country.

On Thursday the highly sought-after Clear Creek Amana defensive lineman made his long-awaited college decision.

Ranked as the best player in the state and number 147 overall recruit in the nation by 247Sports Bollers announced his verbal commitment to Wisconsin Thursday with a video post on social media.

“I have always enjoyed this recruiting process and have taken a lot of time to commit fully to this decision,” Bollers said in the video. “My school of choice not only has a strong focus on football but academics as well. With engineering as my initial focus it was important to me to find a school that would sport me in both things. With that being said I am excited to say I am committed to the University of Wisconsin.”

Long considered one of the top players in the state Bollers emerged as one of the most coveted recruits in the country over the past three seasons.

A four-sport athlete as a prep with a rare combination of size, speed and strength the 6-3, 250-pound Bollers picked Wisconsin over an impressive offer list that grew to a who’s who of perennial college football powers.

Considered the eighth best weakside defensive end in the nation by 247Sports, Bollers announced a final six of Wisconsin, Iowa State, Northwestern, Nebraska, Alabama and California in April.

He picked up a Notre Dame offer this spring and held offers from Iowa, Texas A&M, Penn State, Michigan and Florida among others.

“Part of this process is who you surround yourself with,” Bollers said in the video. “Some of the people I have been able to meet on the Wisconsin staff and in the 2021 recruiting class are people I can’t wait to jump around with for the next three to five years.”

A rare four-year varsity player Bollers has been a two-way starter the past two seasons racking up 90 career tackles including 20 for loss and 10 sacks.

As a tight end Bollers has 48 career receptions for 541 yards and four touchdowns.

Bollers was a Class 3A third-team all-state selection last season as a junior after making 29 tackles including four for loss and three sacks.

He had a career-best 45.5 tackles with 13 for loss and four sacks as a sophomore in 2018.  

Bollers is also a multi-year starter in baseball at Clear Creek Amana, a member of the track team and a starter on the Clippers basketball team that placed third at the Class 3A state tournament last spring.

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