Badgers Continue Pursuit of 2026 Cincinnati Commitment Alongside B1G Rival

Back in April, Gray announced his rather surprising commitment to Cincinnati as the two sides had only been in contact for a short period of time. The Bearcats were the first program to offer Gray a scholarship, and that belief in his abilities on the field meant a lot to the recruit. Gray ultimately decided to commit to the Bearcats after feeling a great degree of trust from the program.

Through the recruiting process thus far, the talented recruit has proven to be someone who values human connection and a staff that will truly care about him over financials or potential playing time. For the Badgers, recruiting Gray has been about winning the recruit over to showcase how the program will develop his talents over time.

Wisconsin Badgers, Iowa Hawkeyes Aiming to Flip Cincinnati Commitment Jeremiah Gray

While Wisconsin has been one of the more aggressive programs pursuing Gray for a commitment flip, the Badgers are not alone.

Multiple programs have stayed in contact with Gray, but the Iowa Hawkeyes are a program that has continued to become closer to the three-star prospect. The Hawkeyes currently have two defensive line commitments within the 2026 class between three-stars Hudson Parliament and Sawyer Jezierski. Iowa has had three or more commitments along the defensive line in the last eight recruiting cycles and the staff thinks Gray will become the final piece of the defensive line puzzle during the 2026 cycle.

Previously, both Wisconsin and Iowa hosted Gray for official visits that both resulted in scholarship offers for the recruit. Before visiting both Big Ten Conference programs, the defensive lineman visited the Kentucky Wildcats and received a scholarship there as well. Gray also recently received a scholarship from the Louisville Cardinals, who are presumably a program that could enter the fold.

The three-star recruit did not record an official visit before announcing his commitment to the Bearcats, but now appears to be done with his visit schedule. Gray announced his commitment so early into the recruiting process that the pursuit of the defensive lineman will likely last until signing day and should be a situation to monitor.