MADISON  (WSAU) The Wisconsin football team has landed a top defensive back from New Jersey for next fall. D-J Singleton of Jersey City gave a verbal commitment to the Badgers yesterday. Singleton goes to Saint Peter’s Prep School, and Scout-Dot-Com ranks him as the 14th-best high school safety in the nation. The Badgers have not recruited many East Coast players since Barry Alvarez brought in stars like running back Ron Dayne in the 1990’s. But that could change.

Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema recently hired running backs’ coach Thomas Hammock, who plans to step up the Badgers’ recruiting efforts in New Jersey. Singleton chose Madison over at least seven other Big Ten schools – plus Miami, Tennessee, and Rutgers. Singleton told Junior-Rank-Dot-Com that he expected Madison to be nothing but farmland, but the city was great. And he said Bielema stressed the U-W’s strong academic reputation – and what he can do with his degree after college.