As Cole LaCrue approached the beginning of his senior season, he asked himself a simple, but frustrating, question that had plagued him for the better part of two years: What would it take for more people to pay attention to his football ability?

LaCrue didn’t have an answer. All he knew was that in two seasons as the starting quarterback for Broomfield High School in Colorado, he had thrown 31 touchdowns and seven interceptions while demonstrating what he believed to be a dynamic playmaking ability with his arm and legs.

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Yet when summer ended, LaCrue held three scholarship offers: One FBS offer from Central Michigan and two FCS offers from Northern Colorado and South Dakota. No matter how hard he tried to generate more interest, an offer from a Power 5 school — where LaCrue thought he belonged — remained elusive.

“I would literally make film and was spamming coaches around the entire country, DM’ing them on Twitter trying to get on the radar,” LaCrue told The Athletic. “Then I would text coaches like, ‘Hey, I’m doing this consistently, man. I’m no joke. I’m not blowing smoke. I’m the real deal.’ It just kept going like that for months, to be honest with you.”

Rather than sulk about his situation, LaCrue decided to play at such a high level that coaches could no longer ignore his talent. Over the next 10 games, that’s exactly what he did in leading Broomfield to an undefeated regular season. He completed 117 of 181 passes (64.6 percent) for 1,854 yards with 21 touchdowns and two interceptions. LaCrue added 82 carries for 627 yards — 7.6 yards per attempt — and 13 more touchdowns.

During the final week of the regular season, he picked up scholarship offers from Colorado and Tulane. Two days after the Tulane offer, he spoke with Wisconsin offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Bobby Engram and earned the scholarship offer he had coveted since taking an unofficial visit to Madison in September. That was all LaCrue needed to hear to validate his work. He privately committed to the Badgers last week and publicly announced his commitment Monday night during a ceremony in his high school gymnasium that was broadcast live on local television.

Broomfield is located less than 20 minutes from Colorado’s Folsom Field. But LaCrue’s uncle, Nick Beghtol, said Colorado “had all the opportunities early on because we’re in their backyard to not make Cole feel like he was second best.” Colorado offered LaCrue as a grayshirt and wanted him to delay his enrollment until January 2024. LaCrue said he made a list of pros and cons for his top three schools and discussed the details with family members. Wisconsin had the fewest number of cons and the most pros.

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“It’s the biggest stadium out of all three,” LaCrue said. “The fans were giving me the most love. It’s an opportunity to play early, I believe. If Graham (Mertz) does stay, it’ll give me time to develop. There are a lot of great players that have come from Wisconsin. Obviously, Russell Wilson, who I watched growing up and now is a part of the Denver Broncos.

“The only con really was that it’s far from home. But at the end of the day, I’ve got to start my own journey, my own chapter of life. That was a big thing for me is I wanted to travel the country, and it will let me see a whole other view of the country. Wisconsin’s brand is nationwide. It’s worldwide, to be honest with you. It’s a huge brand. To go play and be the face there, it’s a huge opportunity.”

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound LaCrue will graduate high school in December so he can enroll at Wisconsin in January and participate in offseason workouts and spring football practice. His decision to commit to Wisconsin six weeks before the early signing period puts an end to what has been a winding path for LaCrue and the Badgers, who have finally found their quarterback in the 2023 recruiting class.

Wisconsin previously extended scholarship offers to five quarterbacks, each of whom committed elsewhere: Brayden Dorman (Arizona), Avery Johnson (Kansas State), JJ Kohl (Iowa State), Dante Moore (Oregon) and Lincoln Kienholz (Washington). Kienholz earned his Wisconsin offer in May and committed to Washington in June.

Engram and the rest of Wisconsin’s recruiting staff took their time to evaluate the possible options remaining, going more than five months without offering another quarterback. In order to succeed, Wisconsin needed to identify a late bloomer with a high upside. LaCrue, a three-star prospect and the No. 99 quarterback in the 247Sports Composite, fit the bill.

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LaCrue said he first heard from Wisconsin in August after recruiting assistant Casey Rabach followed him on Twitter. The two spoke on the phone, and conversations with Wisconsin’s staff continued for the next two months. LaCrue said he talked to Engram “six or seven” times during this condensed recruiting process and noted Engram initially wanted to see him improve in a couple of key areas. The list included adjusting his footwork, in particular the way he stabilized his legs when he threw because his background as a baseball player created a tendency to “fly over like a pitcher almost.” LaCrue also shortened his arm motion for a quicker release on his throws.

“A lot of coaches, they’ll be like, ‘Oh my God, you’re so good at this, this, this,’ but not tell you what you need to work on,” LaCrue said. “He was honest with me, and I love coaches that are honest with me. That really stuck out to me.”

Wisconsin coaches can’t comment on a specific recruit until he signs with the school. However, Engram was asked last week after LaCrue earned his scholarship offer what he looked for when evaluating a quarterback.

“There are certain non-negotiables and there are certain things that you really want to see and then you watch highlight tapes,” Engram said. “But you’ve got to watch games I think with a quarterback. You’ve got to get a feel for how he manages the game, how he responds when he’s down, what happens after he throws an interception. All of those things kind of factor into, ‘Man, we really like this guy. We want to offer him.’”

Broomfield football coach Blair Hubbard said LaCrue’s knack for making big plays began during the first game of his sophomore season after he transferred into Broomfield from another area school. LaCrue was locked in a competition for the starting quarterback job with an upperclassman. Hubbard decided to start the upperclassman and bring LaCrue in for the second quarter against Monarch. Broomfield trailed 7-0 one quarter in before LaCrue entered and accounted for all four touchdowns in a 27-20 victory, rushing for two scores and passing for the others, which included a 70-yard strike. LaCrue has been the starter ever since and enters the playoffs this season with a chance to lead his team to its first state title since 1984.

Hubbard said LaCrue possesses the arm strength to put the ball on the mark on a deep out and can drop down into different arm angles when facing pressure. But what makes him dangerous is his dual-threat ability. He is quick enough to pick up chunks of yardage on the ground but does an excellent job keeping his eyes downfield as he moves in the pocket in case a receiver breaks open.

“I’m a playmaker,” LaCrue said. “I’m a gunslinger. I’m a guy that if you’re going to give me the pocket, I’m going to step up and make a throw. I think I have a pretty good arm. I make the right reads. But I think I’m a fun player to watch. I give a lot of people hope and a lot of people enjoy watching it.

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“For me, if they’re going to drop five in coverage, I’m going to destroy you like that. If you want to drop eight in coverage, now I’m going to destroy you with my legs. I’m a guy that ultimately thinks pass first. But if you give me the opportunity, I’m going to take off and make you realize you can’t do that. I think I’m a pure passer. I’m just going to keep developing that side of the game. There’s a lot of opportunity for me to grow. My ceiling is really high just with where I’m at right now.”

LaCrue’s mobility certainly caught Engram’s attention. On one highlight from his senior season, LaCrue fielded a shotgun snap, escaped pocket pressure off the edge and rolled right to buy time for his receivers while pointing and directing them downfield. He was outside the right hash marks at the 15-yard line when he planted his feet to throw, realized nobody was open and tucked the ball to run. LaCrue made five defenders miss by the time he had cut across the field and outran the rest of the defense to a touchdown.

“You see we move the pocket a lot,” Engram said of Wisconsin’s offensive philosophy. “A guy has to be athletic enough to be able to sprint, to naked, to boot, to avoid the rush. We’re not a QB-driven run team or plus-one run team, per se. But you can incorporate some of those things with an athletic quarterback.”

LaCrue committed to Wisconsin despite uncertainty regarding the team’s coaching staff. Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard took over as interim coach on Oct. 2 when Paul Chryst was fired. Although Leonhard is considered the favorite to earn the permanent job, athletic director Chris McIntosh has not made a public declaration. Even if Leonhard earns the job, he will have to evaluate which assistant coaches remain as he builds his own staff.

“I know if Jim is the guy, the staff is going to be a great staff,” LaCrue said. “I have all the faith in the world with him. But if it is a different coach, that’s just another coach I can prove to him that I’m the guy for him.

“I think we’re all confident that it’s going to be Jim’s job. I’m pretty confident as well. That’s what I’ve been hearing internally and that’s what they told me. They’re 3-1 under Jim. I truly do see a change in the way the team is run and the change in leadership. I’m really proud that hopefully I get to play for Coach Leonhard.”

Those close to LaCrue say his maturity and persistence have stood out during his high school career not just on the field, but also as he battled through family tragedy off it. His dad, Joe, died Nov. 29, 2020, from complications related to COVID-19. Beghtol said because of restrictions at the time, LaCrue and his family weren’t allowed in the hospital to say their final goodbyes. LaCrue, who turned 18 on Sunday, is the oldest of three boys. His middle brother, Ty, is 16 and his youngest brother, Zane, is 11. He has taken on added responsibility to be a support system for his family.

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“I just saw Cole being able to take one of two routes,” said Beghtol, whose sister is LaCrue’s mom and who has been a mentor to LaCrue. “He could’ve gone a totally different path and he laced his boots up and got back to work and did exactly what his dad would’ve wanted him to do. He knew that he had his two younger brothers and his mom. His character, I saw it.

“We talk a lot about character here. I tell him the jersey comes off but your character lasts forever. He just stepped up to the plate. I felt like he turned it on even more, started working harder and taking it more seriously. I saw a young man go the right way through his circumstances.”

LaCrue dedicated his recruiting process to his dad and said the death provided him with even more motivation to succeed.

“He ultimately was my first coach, so he’s been there through thick and thin with me,” LaCrue said. “It was tough to lose him. Not only am I doing this for him, I’m doing it for my entire family. I’ve kind of had to step into that role, so it’s had me grow up and mature a lot faster than some kids. I know he’s still watching me and I’m glad that I’m making him proud.”

It has been a long journey for LaCrue. But now, finally, he has found a college he can call home and is ready to show what he can do.

“I know I’m a Power 5 quarterback,” LaCrue said. “I know I can lead. I can turn a program around. This is an opportunity for me to do that, especially with Coach Leonhard getting a new fresh start. I want to be a new, fresh breath for them. I think they’re going to bring a new dynamic to this offense. So I’m really excited about the opportunity I have.”

(Photo courtesy of Cole LaCrue)