Wisconsin defensive line coach E.J. Whitlow is shown during spring football practice Wednesday, April 23, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin. Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Wisconsin Badgers competing with Iowa, Michigan State in Top 5 schools for 2026 defensive line recruit

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Jake Kocorowski | Last updated May 23, 2025 4:17 PM ET

The Wisconsin Badgers are sitting in good standing with another key defensive line target as an important stretch of official visits begins next weekend.

Jermaine Polk, who plays for Toledo St. Francis de Sales in Ohio, unveiled his top five schools on Friday. Wisconsin made the cut alongside Boston College, Iowa, Iowa State and Michigan State.

Polk lists himself at 6-foot-3 and 279 pounds with 52 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 4½ sacks and five pass deflections as a junior.

"The relationship with Wisconsin is great," Polk told Wisconsin Badgers On SI earlier this week prior to his announcement. "Coach Whitlow was actually at the school (Monday), checking up on me coming from Indiana. But it's something special there. It's a lot of energy, is great tradition."

"Something I really like about it is the campus. The campus is really nice. And it's just a bit of everything once you go there and see what it's like. So it's awesome."

Top 5……. Where’s Home ?@AllenTrieu @TomLoy247 @adamgorney @GregSmithRivals @247Sports @On3Recruits pic.twitter.com/00rCyyJpUe
— Jermaine Polk 3⭐️DT† (@JermainePolk26) May 23, 2025

Polk visited Wisconsin last month for a spring practice and will return for an official visit the weekend of June 5-8. He has official visits set to Boston College (May 30-June 1), Wisconsin (June 5-8), Iowa State (June 13-15) and Iowa (June 20-22).

He plans to commit to a school most likely in July, and a few factors will weigh into his summer decision.

"Honestly, just how I could see myself fitting in, but also what school would build my future the right way with what I want to major in," Polk said. "And just the campus life and how people act around each other, honestly."

"I think education is really important, so the educational part is a big aspect of what I'm looking for. And whoever has the best chances of me wanting to do what I do in the future, then the decision is gonna have to be made."

Wisconsin will host a few defensive linemen on official visits that start the weekend of May 29-June 1. Djidjou Bah (Germantown, Tennessee) and Arthur Scott (Streetsboro, Illinois) are slated to take official visits to Wisconsin the weekend of May 29-June 1. Then Polk will arrive the following week.

Kobe Cherry, a three-star defensive lineman from Greenwood Center Grove in Indiana, unveiled Friday his final schools that included Wisconsin, Indiana and Purdue.

https://t.co/dKYUB07yuT
52 Total tackles
8 TFL
4.5 Sacks
5 Pass Deflections
1 Int

Full Junior season highlights. Man what a run it was definitely a great turn around and wouldn’t go to war with anyone else. ️@Coach_JLindke @JaredLuginbill @Coach_MikeRob @AllenTrieu pic.twitter.com/fVDEopviNe
— Jermaine Polk 3⭐️DT† (@JermainePolk26) November 10, 2024