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WSN15: Football Top Players #2 - Josh Oglesby, Saint Francis

01/04/2018, 8:45am CST
By Travis Wilson

The WSN15 series will celebrate the 15th Anniversary of WisSports.net by looking back at the top players, teams, and moments of the past 15 years (2003-2017).

The Top 15 Players countdown is not a recruiting ranking and not indicative of what the players did after high school. It is a ranking of the top high school players, the impact they had for their team, and the dominance they displayed while in high school.

Top 15 Players: #2 - Josh Oglesby, Saint Francis

When it comes to national rankings and recognition, no Wisconsin high school player in the WSN Era was more highly thought of than massive offensive lineman Josh Oglesby of Saint Francis. One of the few legit five-star prospects from the state, he was rated as the number one offensive line recruit in the country by several publications, and as high as tenth overall in the U.S.

His offer list included football heavyweights like Florida State, Ohio State, Florida, Oklahoma, LSU, Notre Dame, Miami, USC, and many others, but his dream was to stay home and play for the Badgers, as he gave a commitment to Wisconsin in April of 2006.

The 6-8, 312-pounder was coming off a junior season at Saint Francis where he was named All-State by the WFCA. He was also a starter as a sophomore on the 2004 squad that finished as the Division 4 runner-up and also included future Arkansas and NFL lineman Jose Valdez.

"He's a great kid, a great student," Saint Francis coach Doug Sarver told Scout.com during his recruitment. "I really think Josh's best football is ahead of him. He's already a great football player but he's going to get bigger and stronger once he gets into a college atmosphere. Josh has great feet, his hip explosion and knee bend are tremendous, and he finishes his blocks."

Oglesby was set up for a dominant senior season at Saint Francis, but it ended too soon, as a knee injury suffered in Week 3 caused him to miss the remainder of the year.

Injuries unfortunately became a common theme in Oglesby's career, and limited what could have been for the dominating big man.

After redshirting his first season at Wisconsin to help recover from his torn ACL, he started three games as a redshirt freshman and would be in and out o the lineup the next two years. A total of five knee surgeries would cause him to consider giving up football, but he stuck it out with great success, earning First Team All-Big Ten recognition as a senior in 2011.

Oglesby had an outstanding career at Saint Francis and Wisconsin, but it is hard to play the "What if...?" game regarding his injuries. As it stands, he is the highest-rated and most sought-after recruit in the Badger State in the last decade-and-a-half.

For the latest and most up to date football news and recruiting information, follow Travis on Twitter @travisWSN. Email story ideas, recruiting info, etc. to Travis at travis(at)wissports.net.

Tag(s): News Archive  News  Travis Wilson  WSN15