MADISON – Once a player begins his college career, the number of stars he received as a prep recruit loses some meaning.
But in the case of Cai Bates, it highlights his potential.
Before the 6-foot-2, 190-pound cornerback enrolled in State of Florida two years ago he was considered a consensus four-star prospect and was ranked 17th-top recruit in his class at talent-rich Florida State.
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It is this potential that the Wisconsin coaching staff will try to unlock. The redshirt sophomore commits to badgers on Jan. 5 after two years at Florida State. On3 reported the news and Bates I reposted it on his page.
Bates played in 10 games for the Seminoles, three as a freshman during what ended up being a redshirt year and seven in 2025, when he was a reserve and special teams player for a team that finished 5-7.
He finished with a tackle. According to Pro Football Focus, he played two games and 26 snaps on defense. The rest of his appearances were on special teams.
By adding Bates, Wisconsin continues to fill a glaring need on its defense. UW added former Oklahoma State cornerback Eric Fletcher on January 3.
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Wisconsin also signed high school cornerbacks Carsen Eloms and Donovan Dunmore, but the team will likely need more veteran help at a position where Omillio Agarda rising redshirt sophomore, is the only player with starting experience and a rising sophomore Cairo Skanes is the only other returning player to receive significant playing time.
More: Wisconsin football transfer portal tracker: Who goes there, happens for the Badgers
This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Former Florida State defensive back Cai Bates commits to Wisconsin
