Appleton North High School's Ben Wenzel (7) tackles Bay Port High School's Tommy Kemen (3) during a WIAA Division 1 first round playoff game on Friday, October 24, 2025, at Bay Port High School in Suamico, Wis. Bay Port won the game, 41-6. Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

7 Badgers football recruits named to WFCA all-state team in Wisconsin

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Lorin Cox | Last updated Nov 18, 2025 5:54 PM ET

Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers have been criticized over in-state recruiting in recent years, but they've landed some of the top Wisconsin high school football players from the 2025 season.

The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association released its annual all-state team for this year, and five Badgers recruits earned a spot on the list.

It's headlined by Waunakee defensive lineman McCoy Smith, who was named Defensive Player of the Year for the entire state.

He committed to UW as a preferred walk-on, and he's expected to play offense as a 5-foot-10, 220 pound fullback and tight end.

Fickell's only in-state scholarship athlete also made all-state. Appleton North linebacker Ben Wenzel is a three-star recruit that ESPN ranks as a Top 25 LB in the country.

Other future Badgers on the list include Bay Port offensive lineman Aiden Dirksen and Sun Prairie East kicker/punter Brady Melum, who both accepted preferred walk-on offers for the school.

A couple of other in-state recruiting targets for Wisconsin are on the list, though those players have not announced a commitment to the program

The biggest name the Badgers are still pursuing on the all-state team is Germantown offensive lineman Cole Reiter. He is rated as a four-star recruit and the No. 2 player in the state for the class of 2027.

More recently, Fickell's staff made a scholarship offer to Waukesha Catholic Memorial wide receiver Dustin Roach, who is currently unrated in the 2027 class.

MORE: Luke Fickell recruiting more in-state talent for Wisconsin Badgers 2027 class than previous years

In the 2026 class, the Badgers offered all-state Reedsburg running back Will Mikonowicz a preferred walk-on spot to play safety. He has yet to make a decision on that offer.

Fickell hasn't landed all of the top recruits in the state, but lists like these show UW is making a concerted effort to recruit some of the better players Wisconsin has to offer.