Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell is shown during the first quarter of their game against Oregon Saturday, November 16, 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Highly-recruited 2026 defensive lineman commits to SEC school over Wisconsin, Ohio State

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Jake Kocorowski | Last updated May 18, 2025 3:34 PM ET

The University of Wisconsin football program continues to look for its first defensive line commit of the 2026 class.

Jamir Perez, a three-star recruit who plays for Cleveland Glenville, announced Sunday via On3 this commitment to Florida.

Perez visited the Badgers in March for one of their early spring practices and had announced official visits to Wisconsin (the weekend of June 5-8) and Ohio State (June 13-15). He also tweeted additional Power Four offers from Cincinnati, Iowa, Iowa State, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan State, Purdue, Syracuse and Vanderbilt.

It's yet another defensive line target that has committed to a different school before summer official visits started. Wisconsin has lost out on three three-star recruits to conference foes alone since the beginning of April: Jake Johnson (Prosper, Texas) to Southern Cal, Blake Smythe (Franklin, Indiana) to Indiana and Yahya Gaad (Medina South Gibson, Tennessee) to UCLA.

BREAKING: Class of 2026 DL Jamir Perez has Committed to Florida, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’4 360 DL from Cleveland, OH chose the Gators over Ohio State, Vanderbilt, & Wisconsin

“In the Swamp, let’s get to it!! I’m Home! ”https://t.co/6qoka5Wdug pic.twitter.com/VhszhjII9Q
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 18, 2025

The Wisconsin staff still has plenty of defensive line targets available as its official visit schedule starts in less than two weeks. Among those are King Liggins (Chicago Brother Rice), Arthur Scott (Streetsboro, Ohio), Jermaine Polk (Toledo St. Francis de Sales, Ohio), Djidjou Bah (Germantown, Tennessee) and Alister Vallejo (Liberty Hill, Texas).

Liggins already took an official visit to Wisconsin in late April, while Scott, Polk and Bah all have scheduled OVs to Madison.

Another 2026 Badgers target, DL Jamir Perez (@DabigRootJJ) also watched Wisconsin's spring practice. pic.twitter.com/Tf0983zDzy
— Jake Kocorowski (@JakeKoco) March 15, 2025