How summer official visits shaped the previous 2 Wisconsin football classes under Luke Fickell

Summer official visits have been vital to the University of Wisconsin football program since their inception in 2018, and Luke Fickell’s staff has continued to see success during its first two full recruiting classes in Madison.

This week starts three consecutive weekends that Wisconsin is expected to host recruits on official visits. It’s a critical time throughout college football as schools hope to sway prep standouts to join their respective programs.

Late May through mid-to-late June has brought a bountiful amount of good news for the Badgers, especially in the last two years under Fickell. Wisconsin currently has seven 2026 commits entering this week, and the program will need another huge summer swing to keep up with the rest of the Big Ten that’s become much more competitive.

More than half of Wisconsin’s 2024 class were uncommitted recruits before summer official visits

Wisconsin signed 22 scholarship players as part of its 2024 class, and 13 of them announced their commitments after their summer official visits to Madison. They included the following players:

• Defensive lineman Hank Weber
• Offensive linemen Ryan Cory, Kevin Heywood, Colin Cubberly and Emerson Mandell
• Safety Raphael Dunn
• Running backs Gideon Ituka, Darrion Dupree and Dilin Jones
• Cornerbacks Jay Harper, Omillio Agard and Xavier Lucas
• Outside linebacker Anelu Lafaele

The number could have been 14 if cornerback Vernon Woodward III didn’t flip his verbal commitment from Wisconsin to Illinois later in June 2023.

Many of them were evaluated highly and helped the Badgers secure one of their top classes in the recruiting rankings era (No. 19 by Rivals, No. 22 by On3 Industry rankings, No. 23 by 247Sports composite). Eight of the 13 – Cory, Heywood, Mandell, Dupree, Jones, Agard, Lucas and Lafaele – all finished the 2024 class holding a four-star rating by at least one outlet. 

But in the sign of the times with the transfer portal, four of the 13 – Weber (FCS Samford), Harper (Louisiana-Monroe), Lucas (Miami) and Lafaele (Michigan State) – are already with different programs.

Wisconsin’s 2025 class had plenty of summer success

The Badgers announced 24 scholarship players for their 2025 class (though Landyn Locke would move on to Sam Houston State). Ten of them had not disclosed their commitments prior to their official visits last year:

• Offensive linemen Logan Powell, Nolan Davenport and Hardy Watts
• Cornerback Jahmare Washington
• Tight end Nizyi Davis
• Defensive linemen Torin Pettaway and Drayden Pavey
• Linebacker Mason Posa
• Wide receiver Eugene Hilton Jr.
• Outside linebacker Nicolas Clayton

Six of these 10 were designated as four-star players by at least our outlet at the end of the 2025 recruiting cycle. Posa, Hilton, Clayton and Watts were among the significant “wins” for the Badgers’ staff during this time. 

Five of the 10 enrolled early in January at Wisconsin. Hilton and Clayton were among the freshmen standouts in the spring.

Of note: Pavey’s a special case in that he actually committed to Purdue last summer before flipping to Wisconsin in the fall. Pettaway also was a Minnesota commit at the time of his Wisconsin official visit the weekend of May 31-June 2.

Another Florida prep cornerback, four-star recruit Rukeem Stroud, initially gave a commitment to Wisconsin but flipped to Central Florida later in June 2024. Three-star defensive lineman Wilnerson Telemaque (Miami Northwestern) also announced his commitment to the Badgers last June, but he eventually signed with West Virginia.

In-state five-star kicker/punter Erik Schmidt (Milwaukee Marquette) declared his verbal commitment last summer after camping and taking an official visit to Wisconsin in mid-June. He flipped to Notre Dame last December before the 2025 early signing period.

More Wisconsin Badgers News:

• 4-star edge rusher recruit from Illinois puts Wisconsin Badgers in Top 7 schools

• Speedy 2026 WR recruit says Wisconsin Badgers offense 'changed the course of my life'

• Wisconsin Badgers quickly building rapport with 2026 lineman who imposes 'fear factor' on opponents

• Why Wisconsin Badgers were 'the right fit' for 2026 cornerback commit from Indiana