Penn-Trafford’s Cade Yacamelli commits to Wisconsin

By: Paul Schofield
Monday, June 21, 2021 | 9:31 PM

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When Cade Yacamelli visited the University of Wisconsin this past weekend, he said it felt like home.

The visit cinched his decision, so the Penn-Trafford rising senior announced Monday his verbal commitment to the Badgers.

He said he really didn’t have a Top 5 list.

“Since I made my decision, my phone has been blowing up. I called the schools that were recruiting me and thanked them,” Yacamelli said. “What I liked most about Wisconsin was the people. The school, coaches, players, recruits and fans are all great. Madison is a great place, and I can’t wait to play there. It felt like home.”

Yacamelli said he can’t wait to be in the stands for one of Wisconsin’s games this fall for the traditional playing of “Jump Around” between the third and fourth quarter.

Yacamelli, who is unsure of what he’ll major in, is considered an athlete by the Wisconsin coaching staff. He received a scholarship offer while attending a camp at the school earlier this month.

“I don’t care where I play. I just want to be on the field somewhere,” the 6-foot, 200-pound Yacamelli said.

Yacamelli was a versatile performer for Penn-Trafford last season. He rushed for 680 yards, caught 18 passes for 215 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. He returned kicks, including one for a touchdown. He also played safety.

“It’s an all-around awesome school,” Penn-Trafford coach John Ruane said. “They recruited Cade as an athlete. They like his offensive skills and the way he plays defense. It’s an awesome opportunity for him. They respect the players from the WPIAL.”

Yacamelli helped Penn-Trafford reach the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals, where the Warriors fell to eventual PIAA champion Pine-Richland.

“I just want to make an impact there,” Yacamelli said. “I plan on working hard this summer, train with my teammates, and I want to win a WPIAL title.”

Yacamelli was a Tribune-Review Terrific 25 selection. He was a first-team all-conference running back in the Class 5A Big East Conference.

One of his first offers was from the University of Pennsylvania. Yacamelli was courted by six of the eight Ivy League schools, Army, Navy, Air Force, Holy Cross and Lehigh, among others.

Yacamelli is rated a three-star recruit by both Rivals and 247 Sports, which ranks him as the No. 80 athlete in the Class of 2022 and the No. 21 recruit in the state.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Penn-Trafford