Penn receiver Tayshon Bardo (1) runs by the scoreboard after his touchdown Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, at the Valparaiso vs. Penn football game at Freed Field. GREG SWIERCZ / USA TODAY NETWORK

Wisconsin Badgers 2026 football recruiting class starting to catch up after April commitments

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Jake Kocorowski | Last updated May 4, 2025 6:30 AM ET

The end of May and first couple weekends of June will be huge for Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers to secure the majority of its 2026 class.

But the program made up ground last month with some key commitments.

Wisconsin sits with six known verbal commitments as of May 4, which is near the pace set by Fickell's 2024 class (seven).

Four of those 2026 commits - edge rusher Carmelow Reed (Olympia Fields Rich Township, Illinois), cornerback Carsen Eloms (Fishers, Indiana), quarterback Ryan Hopkins (Santa Ana Mater Dei, California) and offensive lineman Maddox Cochrane (Richmond Benedictine College Prep, Virginia) - were announced in the month of April alone.

The Badgers had 10 commits at this time last year for its 2025 class, though quarterback Landyn Locke and linebacker Brenden Anes eventually did not join the program.

It's been a busy start to the 2026 class for many Big Ten teams, especially USC and their torrid pace of 20-plus commits before summer officials even begin.

Here's where the Badgers stand nationally and within the conference by the three major recruiting outlets before a busy summer schedule commences.

On3 Industry Rankings

On3 and 247Sports each have their own standalone ranking and an algorithm that calculates the outlets' individual evaluations and combines them into one. On3 has its industry rankings.

247Sports Composite Rankings

Rivals

It's too early to be worried

It's still early in this recruiting cycle. For those that live and die by recruiting rankings, there are several teams ahead of the Badgers in average rating per recruit on On3 and 247Sports that are within 1-1.5 points.

If the program secures some of its top targets, that could swing Wisconsin back at least into the middle of the pack of the conference and towards the upper-third.

Don't forget that the program locked down two former four-star Michigan commits, quarterback Carter Smith and outside linebacker Jaylen Williams, in November before the 2025 early signing period.

Each outlet also updates its player rankings throughout the recruiting cycle. On3 bumped Thomas Heiberger and Luke Emmerich up to four-star status last year.