Wisconsin Badgers: Big Ten Rival Renews Pursuit of 2026 TE Commitment

A valuable commitment within the Wisconsin Badgers 2026 recruiting class has been the subject of a recent aggressive push from a rival program.

The Illinois Fighting Illini have been in contact with 2026 three-star tight end Jack Janda recently, extending an official offer during the opening of revenue sharing offers. Janda is a talented athlete who the Wisconsin staff previously landed over Illinois, Stanford, and fellow Big Ten Conference rival Michigan. The tight end held 26 scholarship offers at the time of his commitment to the Badgers.

Both the Wolverines and Fighting Illini pulled back late in the recruitment of Janda after Wisconsin booked an official visit with the tight end. Janda committed to Wisconsin directly after visiting and subsequently shut down his recruitment. However, Illinois has crept back into the picture and the program now aims to take another recruit away from the Badgers.

Wisconsin Badgers 2026 Commitment Jack Janda Receives Official Offer From Illinois

Previously, the Wisconsin staff battled against Illinois for a commitment from three-star 2026 defensive lineman King Liggins, and unfortunately lost. Wisconsin had also been in on composite four-star athlete Nasir Rankin, who also chose the Fighting Illini over the Badgers.

Illinois now aims to pickup three wins against the Badgers after pushing for Janda once again to round out the 2026 class. Wisconsin, on the other hand, values the tight end and his versatility on the field which would make the potential loss of Janda sting for the program.