The Wisconsin football staff has made the final cut for a talented 2026 defensive back, but securing the upcoming commitment is another story.
Tony Forney, a three-star 2026 safety from Georgia, attends Kell High School and has been a close recruiting partner to four-star counterpart Jowell Combay. The defensive back duo have gone through much of the recruiting process together as the teammates have attend visits and camps alongside each other. When committing to a school, however, the duo will likely go separate ways, and Forney might not choose Madison as his future collegiate home.
Currently, Forney is set to announce his commitment midday during July 4th with five programs on the table including Wisconsin. Georgia, Pitt, Auburn, and Missouri will all be programs that join the Badgers tomorrow during a solid commitment ceremony. Missouri and Pitt have both been programs that have aggressively recruited the safety over the past month, adding more questions regarding where Forney will land.
While the defensive back may not be the top athlete on the board for Wisconsin or other programs, the speed and raw talent of Forney gives his future collegiate program a great base to develop around.
However, for the Wisconsin football staff, landing Forney and gaining access to such abilities is likely out of the question heading into the festivities of July 4th. Forney has been closely tied to Missouri, and grew closer to other programs after the commitment of three-star defensive back Zachary Taylor in the 2026 Badgers class. The Tigers currently do not have a commitment at safety within the class and have the easiest potential path to the field for Forney.
Additionally, while Forney and Combay have gone through the recruiting process together, the duo will likely not end up on the same roster. Combay has been closely tied to the Wisconsin football program since officially visiting alongside Forney. The Wisconsin staff has shown a strong interest in Combay and have recruited Combay more closely, which could also be a sign of Forney committing elsewhere during his announcement.
The Wisconsin football staff will hear back from Combay on July 9th, and the chances of the safety becoming a Badger are much higher than the chances of Forney doing so.
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