As the Badgers near the end of a historically poor season, Wisconsin’s upcoming recruiting class has also taken a hit.
The team currently has 14 commits in the class of 2026, a number that has fluctuated over the past two months due to multiple commitments and decommitments. The class ranks 67th in the nation, according to 247Sports, the worst of Fickell’s tenure.
Wisconsin’s recruiting class was ranked 40th in the nation in 2023, and in 2024, the class ranked 25th.
This recruiting class significantly thinned in the last few months after seven players decommitted. Specifically, Wisconsin lost a pair of three-star offensive linemen in the last two weeks.
6-foot-7, 280-pound offensive tackle Maddox Cochrane decommitted Monday, just two days before 6-foot-6 310-pound interior offensive lineman Benjamin Novak also parted ways with the Badgers.
Since the season began, the Badgers have also lost three-star wide receiver, Tayshon Bardo and three-star linebacker Aden Reeder.
The Badgers have taken steps to fill in the gaps, recently flipping three-star running back Qwantavius ‘Fatboy’ Wiggins from Florida International. The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder out of Fairburn, Ga announced his commitment to Wisconsin on Nov. 11.
In his junior year at Langston Hughes High School, Wiggins’ ability to stay on his feet proved exceptional, as he ran for 1,003 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 9.0 yards per carry.
He is the second running back to commit in the class, alongside Amari Latimer, Wisconsin's top 2026 commit and four-star recruit from Tyrone, Ga., who committed to Wisconsin in June.
In early October, Latimer visited Ohio State and wore a Buckeyes arm sleeve during a high school game, leading to speculation about him flipping his commitment.
However, the Sandy Creek High School product and brother of Wisconsin junior cornerback Geimere Latimer has remained true to the Badgers. Latimer’s high football IQ and gritty playstyle make him a threat to expose any gap, as backed up by his 136 carries for 1,113 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior.
On defense, three-star defensive end Yahya Gaad committed to the Badgers in October after previously decommitting from UCLA and SMU.
The 6-foot-4, 250-pounder from Medina, Tenn., chose Wisconsin over 19 other teams, most notably passing up on offers from Georgia, Indiana and Texas. Gaad is a magnet to the ball carrier with relentless pursuit and strong hands. He totaled 50 tackles, 29 of which were for loss, and six sacks in his junior year at South Gibson High School.
Additionally, Wisconsin was able to flip 6-foot, 185-pound cornerback Donovan Dunmore from Oregon State. Dunmore’s 35-inch vertical paired with his sheer speed — running a 10.56 second 100 meter dash — can be a great asset for the Badgers who employ deep coverage schemes.
Out of Wisconsin’s 15 commits, inside linebacker Ben Wenzel is the only in-state player. This meager number is arguably unsurprising, as the team’s 2025 115-player roster includes only 35 Wisconsin natives, dropping from 48 players in 2021.
Currently, only four of the Badgers’ 292 offers are to Wisconsin natives, and aside from Wenzel, the other three are committed to other Big Ten schools: inside offensive lineman Samuel Simpson committed to Indiana, wide receiver Brody Schaffer to Iowa and offensive tackle Gavin Meier to Minnesota.
Wisconsin has notoriously struggled with in-state recruiting in the Fickell era, and a recent survey conducted by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel found that 10 of 13 anonymous Wisconsin high school coaches either disagree or strongly disagree that the Badgers’ staff has made Wisconsin high school coaches and players a priority.
However, amid criticism, Wisconsin has recently made considerable efforts to bring in more Wisconsinites, using priority walk-on offers as a means to land more in-state players.
Last week, Sun Prairie East kicker/punter and unrated recruit Brady Melum accepted the Badgers’ walk-on offer. This came within days of Reedsburg quarterback and safety Will Mikonowicz announcing his priority walk-on offer from Wisconsin, despite his commitment to Division II program Minnesota-Duluth.
Additionally, in October, defensive lineman and running back out of Waunakee, McCoy Smith, announced his decision to play for the Badgers after receiving a walk-on offer of his own.
Whether or not recent decommitments are influenced by Wisconsin’s lack of success this season is up for speculation, but what is most important is filling in these gaps.
Signing day is Feb. 4, and the Badgers have a long way to go in securing a well-rounded class.
