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30 // VARSITY February 6, 2014 O ne of the early enrollees became a fan of J.J. Watt after first taking a liking to the Na- tional Hockey League, where Vincent Lecav- alier was his favorite. Another grew up watching Joe Thomas. One of the early enrollees had no choice but to adapt to change after living in nine states. Another was inspired by a prep coach who functioned out of motorized wheelchair because of ALS. Friendship has grown out of ambition for these early enrollees. They did what they had to do to graduate early from high school so they could enroll for the second semester of classes at Wisconsin. It's not for everyone, but Michael Deiter, Jaden Gault, Austin Hudson and D.J. Gillins were willing to make the necessary sacrifices to get a jump-start on their academic, athletic and social orientation. As tendered players in UW's 2014 football recruiting class, they've received direction from older teammates while drawing on support from each other during their transition to college life. "Everybody gets a lot closer," Hudson said, "because you're the four new guys." Deiter and Gault are offensive linemen from the Midwest. Deiter is from Genoa, Ohio, a tiny village outside of Toledo. Gault is from nearby Cottage Grove and Monona Grove High School. Hudson, a safety, and Gillins, a quarterback, are skill position players from Florida. Hudson is from the Gulf Coast and Tampa, a three-hour drive from Gillins, who lives in Jacksonville. "We've been all hanging out a lot when we get time," said Gault, who's rooming with Hudson. "It's nice to be able to talk to these guys and see how they're doing." Gillins found out the hard way how cold it can get in these parts. "It was horrible," he said of the below-zero temperatures. "I live on one part of campus and I had a class on the other side of campus and I walked through the wind and cold because I didn't know the bus routes. When I got there, no- body else was there. I didn't know they had canceled the class." Gillins recently called his family in Jacksonville and they were complaining to him about the cold weather in the South. "Back home, it's about 30 and they're freaking out," he said. "Man, I told them, if it gets to 30 up here, everybody would be in shorts and T-shirts." But he's surviving. "He seems pretty tough," said Deiter, who's his roomie. Gillins has also left a posi- tive impression on the others, including Hudson, who knew of him in Florida; especially during the recruiting process. "I followed him (Gillins) on Twit-