First-year assistant Kenny Guiton and the University of Wisconsin football staff continue to reel in four-star wide receivers for its 2025 class.
Eugene Hilton Jr., who plays for Zionsville High School in Indiana, announced Friday his commitment to Wisconsin via Instagram. He is the son of former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton.
“It was a couple of things,” Hilton told BadgerExtra. “No. 1, my family, they loved it there, and then, kind of, they checked off all the boxes. I was with what they believed in. I loved how they develop their players, and kind of the connection that I have with the coaching staff, the players and the people that I’ve met in Wisconsin.”
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Hilton is rated a four-star recruit by Rivals and 247Sports’ composite rankings. He caught 46 passes for 836 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns last season as a junior, according to Zionsville.
“I think I add a lot of versatility, and I think that helps a lot, and I think that’s a big part of my game,” Hilton said. “Another thing is I always try to find a way to catch the ball.
“I’m really good at being able to have late hands or kind of just find a way to catch it and adjust to make the quarterback right.”
Power Four offers that he’s received, according to his Twitter account, include Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri and West Virginia.
Wisconsin continued to view Hilton as one of its top receiver targets during his recruiting process, even with the change at position coach this offseason. The Badgers previously made Hilton’s list of top 7 programs in March, according to a graphic from On3 that he reposted on Twitter, and he took an official visit to Wisconsin June 7-9.
“Coach G, I mean, that’s my guy,” Hilton said. “Ever since he stepped foot on campus in January, I’ve gotten to know him a whole bunch. I got to meet his family, his kids and all that. And then obviously, he’s met my family, so I think we’ve developed a really good relationship over time.
“And I think that he envisions me, kind of being the next guy up and being a playmaker for them and everything.”
The Badgers already received a commitment from Cameron Miller (Atco Winslow Township, New Jersey) in May, a four-star recruit by On3’s Industry rankings who is projected to play in the slot within offensive coordinator Phil Longo’s Air Raid scheme. Hilton, listed 6 foot 1 and 175 pounds on Hudl, is expected to line up at one of the outside receiver spots when he arrives on campus as an early enrollee next year. Hilton’s father played with Badgers cornerback Rico Hallman’s stepfather, Frank Gore, from 2015-17 for the Colts.
He’s the eighth recruit to commit to the Badgers since June 1. Five of those 19 commits — defensive back Jahmare Washington, tight end Nizyi Davis, defensive lineman Torin Pettaway, inside linebacker Mason Posa and Hilton — have announced their decisions since Sunday.
Wisconsin now has 19 commits for the 2025 class with the addition of Hilton. Nine of those 19 are evaluated as a four-star recruit by at least one recruiting outlet as of Friday.
Hilton joins the following recruits who intend to become Badgers: quarterback Landyn Locke; defensive backs Remington Moss, Jai’mier Scott, Grant Dean, Rukeem Stroud and Washington; offensive linemen Michael Roeske, Cam Clark, Logan Powell and Nolan Davenport; inside linebackers Cooper Catalano and Posa; outside linebackers Brenden Anes and Samuel Lateju; wide receiver Cameron Miller; Davis; Pettaway; and Luke Emmerich, who the program sees as an “athlete” with no position solidified.
