Wisconsin Badgers football among top 6 schools for standout Illinois defensive back

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Jake Kocorowski | Last updated May 6, 2025 9:47 PM ET

The University of Wisconsin football program's recruiting efforts continue to put it in contention for another Illinois standout.

Messiah Tilson, a 2026 recruit who plays for Rockford Guilford, announced Tuesday his top six schools. Wisconsin made the cut alongside Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Minnesota and Rutgers.

Tilson recently took an official visit to Wisconsin late last month and was spotted at the Badgers' final spring practice April 24. He also traveled to Illinois and Iowa for official visits in April and had announced another to Minnesota from June 13-15.

247Sports, On3 and Rivals all evaluate Tilson as a high three-star recruit, and 247Sports rates him the highest among the three outlets as the No. 25 safety in the 2026 class. He's announced other Power Four offers from such schools as Cincinnati, Indiana, Kansas State, Kentucky, Missouri, Vanderbilt and West Virginia.

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— Messiah Tilson (@mini_sago11) May 7, 2025

Tilson lists himself at 6 foot 3, making him a tall defensive back with length. He's also known for his speed on the track, as according to Athletic.net, he ran the indoor 60 meters in 6.83 on March 15 and the outdoor 100 meters in 11.07 on May 3.

Wisconsin has six verbal commitments for its 2026 class, with three-star cornerback Carsen Eloms as the lone defensive back as of May 6. The Badgers staff under coach Luke Fickell has continued to make Illinois a key priority for the program, and the school already has one 2026 commit from the state in projected outside linebacker Carmelow Reed (Olympia Fields Rich Township).

Other 2026 targets from Illinois to watch include outside linebacker McHale Blade (Chicago Simeon), defensive lineman King Liggins (Chicago Brother Rice), tight end Gavin Mueller (South Elgin) and wide receiver Zachary Washington (Wheaton St. Francis). Wisconsin coaches crossed state borders last week to visit recruits.

Here’s my full season offensive and defensive highlights :https://t.co/uNMaSUPOgF https://t.co/KUX079KSAx pic.twitter.com/VSmczM99jn
— Messiah Tilson (@mini_sago11) November 7, 2024