Wisconsin outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell, left, talks with head coach Luke Fickell during practice April 11 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

2026 outside linebacker flips commitment from Wisconsin Badgers to SEC contender

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Jake Kocorowski | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 7:58 PM ET

The University of Wisconsin football program saw some recruiting momentum stunted after a great weekend of official visits.

Carmelow Reed, a three-star recruit from Olympia Fields Rich Township in Illinois, announced via On3 that he flipped his commitment from Wisconsin to Mississippi.

Reed announced an offer from Wisconsin in February and gave a verbal commitment to the program in April. He was set to take an official visit to Madison the weekend of June 5-8, but according to Rivals, he took one to Ole Miss this past weekend.

BREAKING: Class of 2026 EDGE Carmelow Reed has Flipped his Commitment from Wisconsin to Ole Miss, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’6 250 EDGE from Richton Park, IL had been Committed to the Badgers since April

“Tell them boys come to the Sip”https://t.co/LDI3Usw9Do pic.twitter.com/3kS8ylBl4L
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 2, 2025

That now leaves Wisconsin with nine verbal commitments for its 2026 class, and none are currently projected to play outside linebacker. The Badgers hosted two projected edge rushers this past weekend on official visits in four-star recruits McHale Blade (Chicago Simeon) and Jackson Samuels Ford (Malvern Prep, Pennsylvania).

Samuels Ford told Wisconsin Badgers On SI on Sunday that the program "set the bar extremely high."

Another Pennsylvania edge rusher, Anthony Charles (McDonald South Fayette), announced Sunday his commitment to Big Ten archrival Minnesota. He had previously scheduled an official visit to Wisconsin the weekend of June 12-15, but there's another option available that will travel to Madison for that time in fellow three-star recruit Ben Duncum (Austin Lake Travis).