Gio Paez joins the Wisconsin Badgers roster out of William Amos Hough High School in North Carolina as a three-star defensive tackle. Paez is a large man with quick feet and that will serve him well in any of the three positions on the Badgers defensive line, though he may have to gain some weight before slotting in at nose tackle.
Over seven games in his senior season, Paez had 27 tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery, while in his junior season he produced 53 tackles, nine sacks and two safeties. At a position that faced depth challenges this year, the defensive line will most likely be looking for one or two immediate contributors and Paez could fill that roll easily.