The University of Wisconsin football program has lost a developmental piece along its defensive front just before fall camp.

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Middleton standout Torin Pettaway is no longer with the program, according to a report from Colton Bartholomew of BadgerExtra. Pettaway decided to leave the team and was not dismissed by the staff.

No reason for his departure was disclosed.

Pettaway was entering his second season at Wisconsin after redshirting as a freshman in 2025. The 6-foot-5, 298-pound defensive lineman did not appear in a game during his first year with the Badgers.

His departure ends a brief but eventful relationship with his hometown program.

Pettaway did not begin playing organized football until his junior year at Middleton High School. Still, his combination of size, athleticism and upside quickly turned the in-state product into a Power Four recruit.

As a senior, he earned first-team All-Big Eight honors, was named the conference’s defensive end of the year and became a finalist for the Tim Krumrie Award, which recognizes the state’s top senior defensive lineman.

Pettaway initially committed to Wisconsin in March 2024 before flipping to Minnesota shortly thereafter. The Badgers staff continued recruiting him and eventually brought Pettaway back to Madison for an official visit.

He flipped his verbal commitment back to Wisconsin in June and would later sign, giving Luke Fickell and his staff a promising in-state addition along the defensive front. Pettaway also held scholarship offers from Nebraska, USC, Washington, Illinois and Rutgers during his recruitment.

Pettaway was a consensus three-star prospect whose evaluation was largely tied to what he could eventually become. He had the physical tools to play along the defensive line, but his limited experience made him a longer-term project rather than someone expected to contribute.

That remained apparent during his first year in the program.

The Badgers rebuilt much of their defensive front through the transfer portal after losing several experienced contributors from last season’s rotation. Wisconsin added transfers Hammond Russell IV, Junior Poyser, Jacob Anderson and DeNigel Cooper, creating a veteran room around returning players such as Charles Perkins, Nolan Vils, and Dillan Johnson.

Pettaway appeared likely to open fall camp with the third-team defense behind several older and more experienced options. His departure removes one developmental piece from the room, though it should not dramatically alter Wisconsin’s immediate plans along the defensive front.

The larger loss comes from what Pettaway represented.

Wisconsin’s staff took a chance on a local prospect whose best football was potentially still ahead of him. Pettaway possessed the frame and athletic ability that made him an intriguing long-term project for the Badgers, but he will now pursue that development somewhere else.

His departure also leaves Wisconsin without one of the few defensive linemen on its roster who came through the state’s high school ranks. The Badgers will begin fall camp with a defensive front that looks significantly different from the one they carried into last season, and Pettaway will no longer be part of that competition.

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During the first three seasons under Luke Fickell, the Wisconsin football program has been searching for an identity.

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Not a slogan. Not another catchphrase. Although Fickell has given Wisconsin fans plenty of those during his tenure: competitive maturity, complementary football, climbing the mountain, keep swinging, pound the rock, even asking for a little blind faith.

What Wisconsin has lacked, however, is an identity on the field. The kind that shows up every Saturday, regardless of opponent or circumstances.

That’s become the defining frustration of Fickell’s tenure. Wisconsin has flashed physicality at times and resilience in isolated moments. But over the course of the Fickell era, the Badgers have rarely looked like a team that consistently knew who they were and imposed their will.

That’s a difficult reality for a program that spent the better part of three decades doing exactly that. But Fickell believes that is finally changing.

“Those guys wanted to know... what’s the identity?” Fickell said during an appearance on ESPN Madison. “It’s hard when you don’t have success, and you don’t win on the football field. We know inside this program what we want our identity to be. Our job is to see what we promote, what we permit, but ultimately what we put on film as our identity.

“We want to be a tough, nasty and disciplined football team.”

Fickell has spent three years, going on four, preaching those same three words. His teams have spent three years struggling to reflect them. If 2026 is going to be different, “tough, nasty and disciplined” can no longer be an aspiration. It has to become Wisconsin’s reality.

The irony is that Wisconsin hasn’t been searching for a new identity. It’s been searching for a way to finally become the team Fickell has described since the day he arrived.

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One of the hardest things to evaluate in modern college football is whether history still matters.

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Wisconsin football’s most decorated head coach needed time before building a nationally relevant program. Luke Fickell now enters the same stage of his tenure, where the program either begins to turn the corner or difficult questions become impossible to avoid. The problem? College football has changed dramatically since Barry Alvarez arrived in 1990.

Which brings us to today’s mailbag question:

Q: On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely is it that Luke Fickell follows a Barry Alvarez-like trajectory at Wisconsin? Alvarez struggled plenty in his first three seasons before the program completely turned the corner.

-JumpAround88

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The funny thing about college football in July is that everyone can build a convincing case for optimism.

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Every roster looks deeper than it did a year ago. Every transfer is going to fit perfectly. Every coordinator has solved last season’s problems. Hope is abundant because nobody has actually played real football yet.

Wisconsin football is no different.

The Badgers are coming off a 4-8 season (2-7 Big Ten), their second straight year without a bowl game. And yet, Wisconsin closed the year with wins over two AP Top 25 opponents, a reminder that there were at least some signs of progress beneath an otherwise disappointing season.

Since then, the program has poured resources into the roster, overhauled key position groups, and enters Year 4 under Luke Fickell with a schedule that looks much more manageable than the one it faced a season ago.

That doesn’t mean the Badgers are destined for greatness. It means there are fewer excuses than there have been at any point during Fickell’s tenure.

Whether Wisconsin finally turns the corner won’t come down to one player or one game. It’ll come down to answering a handful of questions that have hovered over this program since last season came to a close.

Here are the five that matter most.

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Wisconsin football has made another addition to its coaching staff.

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Curtis Grant Jr. announced that he’s joining Luke Fickell’s football program as the Badgers’ new director of player development. He replaces Chris Worley, who recently transitioned into an on-field coaching role as Wisconsin’s assistant defensive backs coach working with the nickels.

Grant’s addition quietly appeared on Wisconsin’s updated 2026 football staff directory, filling an important support position responsible for mentoring student-athletes both on and off the field.

While the role doesn’t involve coaching on Saturdays, it has become an increasingly important part of modern college football as programs navigate roster turnover, the transfer portal and the evolving NIL landscape.

For Grant, the opportunity represents much more than a new job title.

“For a long time, people told me I had a gift for leading young men,” Grant said. “I didn’t want to hear it because I was still bitter that my playing career didn’t unfold the way I had envisioned. They say the things you go through aren’t always for you — they’re meant to prepare you to help someone else. I truly understand what that means now.

“I’m honored to be part of an incredible program at Wisconsin, where I have the opportunity to pour into the next generation, share the lessons this game taught me, and help these young men become better players and even better people. Sometimes God changes the dream, but never the purpose.”

Grant arrives in Madison with an extensive football background.

A former five-star recruit out of Hermitage High School in Virginia, Grant entered Ohio State as one of the nation’s highest-rated linebackers before developing into a key contributor for the Buckeyes. He played in 45 career games, served as one of the program’s leaders, and was part of Ohio State’s 2014 College Football Playoff national championship team.

The relationship between Grant and Fickell dates back more than a decade.

Fickell coached Grant throughout his entire Ohio State career from 2011-14, while serving as his linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator. Following Ohio State’s 2014 national championship season, Fickell publicly praised Grant for helping restore the culture in the Buckeyes’ linebacker room, a glimpse into the leadership qualities that now make him a natural fit for Wisconsin’s director of player development role.

Although his collegiate career didn’t match the lofty expectations that accompanied his recruiting ranking, Grant’s perseverance eventually helped him carve out a cup of coffee in the NFL. After going undrafted in 2015, he spent time with multiple organizations, including the Chargers, Falcons, Titans, Raiders, 49ers and Giants, appearing in 10 regular-season games with New York.

His own journey ultimately helped shape the perspective he now brings to a role centered on mentoring and developing young athletes.

It’s become increasingly important to have the right people in place to ensure players don’t slip through the cracks. With rosters turning over at an unprecedented rate every offseason, building relationships, monitoring the development of young athletes, and keeping players engaged year-round has become just as important as recruiting them in the first place.

While Grant may not be a household name to Badger fans, his playing experience, leadership background, and longstanding relationship with Fickell make him a natural fit for a program that has consistently emphasized the importance of culture and player development.

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The Wisconsin football program is officially on the board in the 2028 recruiting cycle.

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Four-star linebacker Cale Britt announced his verbal commitment to Wisconsin, giving Luke Fickell and his staff their first pledge in the 2028 class.

“Very blessed to be in this position…. Can’t thank my family, coaches, teammates, trainers, and every school that believed in me enough… With that being said I am committing to Wisconsin 🖤❤️,” Britt wrote.

Landing Britt is significant for more than simply getting the class started.

The Bishop Moore Catholic (Orlando, Fla.) standout has quickly emerged as one of the top linebackers in the 2028 cycle. He gives Wisconsin an early commitment from a player who had attracted attention from many of college football’s top programs.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and roughly 210 pounds, Britt possesses the size, athleticism and versatility that have become increasingly valuable at the position. Recruiting services view him as a consensus four-star prospect, with 247Sports ranking him among the top 20 linebackers nationally.

His sophomore season offered plenty of evidence why.

Britt recorded 118 tackles, four tackles for loss and three sacks while consistently flashing the instincts, range and physicality that have made him one of the fastest-rising defenders in Florida. A multi-sport athlete who also competes in lacrosse, Britt brings the combination of length and downhill playmaking ability that projects well at the Power Four level.

The testing numbers only reinforce what shows up on film.

Britt has posted a 315-pound bench press, a 445-pound squat, a 4.7-second 40-yard dash and a 10-foot, 7-inch broad jump, along with 10.3-inch hands and a 78-inch wingspan. Those measurables reinforce why Britt has emerged as such a coveted linebacker prospect.

Wisconsin identified those traits early.

Inside linebackers coach Tuf Borland spearheaded the recruitment alongside defensive coordinator Mike Tressel, building a relationship that made the choice easy. Britt made his first trip to Madison during spring practice in April, and it didn’t take long to realize Wisconsin felt like home.

The First-Team All-State linebacker returned in June for camp, further strengthening those relationships before ultimately making his decision.

The offer list shows just how competitive this recruitment became.

Britt picked Wisconsin over scholarship offers from Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Tennessee, Auburn, Nebraska, UCLA, Louisville, Missouri and dozens of other programs, giving the Badgers an early recruiting win against some of the sport’s biggest brands.

While the 2028 class is still in its infancy, securing the first commitment always carries added importance. Beyond adding one of the nation’s blue-chip linebacker prospects, Wisconsin now has an early cornerstone piece for the class and another recruiting victory for Borland and the Badgers’ defensive staff as they continue building toward the future.

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The truth is, nobody really knows what Wisconsin football is going to look like once the season gets here.

Between now and Week 1, things will change. Players who looked buried on the depth chart in spring will suddenly emerge. Injuries will happen. Transfer portal additions who looked great on paper may not translate the way people hoped, while others nobody is talking about right now could become real difference-makers by mid-season. That’s college football.

Rosters are fluid, expectations swing wildly, and trying to project a season in July can feel like more guesswork than anything else. I’ve been pretty transparent about my skepticism surrounding this coaching staff, and nothing that’s happened over the past three seasons has done much to erase those concerns. But skepticism isn’t the same thing as wanting to be right. There are real reasons to think this team is in a better place.

After a 4-8 season and back-to-back years without a bowl game, the Badgers didn’t sit still. They invested heavily in the transfer portal, rebuilt key position groups, and finally started leaning back into a more physical brand of football that actually resembles what has historically worked.

Whether that translates into wins remains to be seen. But there are at least 10 legitimate reasons to believe Wisconsin could take a meaningful step forward in 2026.

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You don’t need anonymous coaches to tell you that Wisconsin football was a mess in 2025.

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But sometimes it helps to hear how bluntly the rest of the league sees it.

In Athlon Sports’ 2026 College Football Preview, one Big Ten coach did not exactly dance around the issue.

“They scored 81 points in nine conference games. I don’t care who your quarterback is. That speaks to a lot of bigger issues than just the quarterback position,” an anonymous Big Ten coach told Athlon Sports.

“There are teams in the conference who could not throw a single pass and score more than nine points per game. It also speaks to, defensively, your ability to make turnovers, and special teams, your ability to make kicks. I thought it was a whole package thing.”

That is harsh, but it’s also hard to argue with.

Wisconsin absolutely had quarterback problems last season. Maryland transfer Billy Edwards Jr. got hurt. Danny O’Neil was forced into action, then got hurt. Hunter Simmons had his turn, but couldn’t take care of the ball. Carter Smith eventually entered the picture. It was not a normal year at the most important position on the field, and that context matters.

By season’s end, Wisconsin had become the first Badgers team since 1956 to have four different quarterbacks attempt at least 10 passes in a season, and the only Big Ten program to do so in 2025.

But the quarterback carousel also exposed something deeper.

The Badgers finished 132nd nationally in offensive EPA per play, 131st in EPA per dropback, and 115th in EPA per rush, per Game on Paper. They ranked 135th nationally in scoring offense at 12.8 points per game, averaged 253 yards per game, and threw for just 136.4 yards per contest.

That is not just bad quarterback play. That is system-wide dysfunction.

The offensive line had very little depth and was constantly shuffled. The run game never became reliable. The passing game lacked answers. Wisconsin could not consistently create explosives, sustain drives, or put players in position to steal easy yards. At some point, injuries stop being the explanation and start becoming part of a larger failure to adjust.

And while the offense deservedly absorbed most of the criticism, the defense wasn’t without fault either. Wisconsin finished dead last nationally in turnovers forced with just five interceptions and one fumble recovery, ranked 73rd in defensive EPA per dropback, and struggled to defend the pass consistently. The pass rush improved, and the run defense was great, but the complementary football simply wasn’t there.

The next anonymous coach took that criticism a step further.

“Truthfully, I was surprised that both Wisconsin and Maryland decided to run it back with their head coaches,” another anonymous coach told Athlon Sports. “I wasn’t really impressed with either one of those teams. It almost felt like they didn’t really know who the next guy was gonna be, so they decided they’d rather have a year to prepare a move like that.”

Plenty of Wisconsin fans probably felt the same way when “Fire Fickell” chants started raining through Camp Randall Stadium.

Luke Fickell is 17-21 at Wisconsin, including 10-17 in Big Ten play. The Badgers have missed back-to-back bowl games, failed to produce an NFL Draft pick for the first time since 1978, and looked a lot closer to being a bottom-feeder in the conference than a serious contender.

In the midst of all those struggles, the athletic director, Chris McIntosh, publicly backed Fickell and promised more financial resources to the program. Then, to Wisconsin’s credit, the Badgers responded by knocking off AP Top 25 opponents Washington and Illinois down the stretch, showing there was still enough belief inside the locker room to finish the year with some fight. That, coupled with a significant roster investment through NIL and the transfer portal, bought this staff another chance.

Now there is no hiding from the expectations.

FanDuel has Wisconsin’s regular-season win total at 6.5, which feels closer to the national perception of this team. But given the schedule, the roster investment to raise the talent floor, and the years this staff has already had to build its program, seven wins should not be the ceiling.

Eight or nine wins should be on the table.

Wisconsin has seven games at home, including a neutral-site opener against Notre Dame at Lambeau Field, avoids several of the Big Ten’s heavyweights, and draws a schedule that’s far more manageable than the gauntlet this program navigated a year ago. If the increased investment was truly the missing piece, there is little room left for excuses.

And with Shawn Eichorst now stepping in as athletic director, the dynamic changes. McIntosh, who hired Fickell, was tied to him and publicly backed him through some difficult moments, is now with the Big Ten. Eichorst has deep Wisconsin ties and likely isn’t eager to make a coaching change and pay a sizable buyout figure before it’s necessary, but this is no longer the administration that made the original hire.

Fickell got the resources. He got another offseason. He got a schedule that gives them a legitimate opportunity to take a step forward.

Now he and his staff have to deliver.

At this point, there isn’t much left to sell besides results.

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One of the more interesting developments of the Wisconsin football program’s offseason hasn’t just been the success of its 2027 recruiting class. It’s how quickly the coaching staff appears to have pivoted back toward a more traditional recruiting approach.

On National Signing Day, Luke Fickell openly discussed treating high school recruits like “draft picks,” taking smaller classes, and relying more heavily on the transfer portal as college football continued to evolve.

Now, after landing 23 verbal commitments in the 2027 cycle and aggressively pursuing high school talent again, it’s fair to wonder:

Q: Didn’t Luke Fickell say Wisconsin was moving toward smaller recruiting classes and more of a draft pick mentality? Why does it already seem like they’ve ditched that approach?

- PortalPunter

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The University of Wisconsin has found its next director of athletics.

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According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Wisconsin is expected to hire Shawn Eichorst to replace Chris McIntosh, ending a search that ultimately landed on a familiar face with deep ties to both the Badgers and the state.

For many around the program, Eichorst is hardly an unknown.

A Wisconsin native from Lone Rock, Eichorst played football at UW-Whitewater before beginning his administrative career within the UW system. He later returned to Madison under legendary athletic director Barry Alvarez, serving as senior associate athletic director before being promoted to deputy athletic director and chief operating officer.

During that time, Eichorst helped oversee the day-to-day operations of one of the nation’s most respected athletic departments while working closely alongside Alvarez during a successful era for Wisconsin athletics.

Those ties are a big part of what makes this hire notable.

Since leaving Wisconsin, Eichorst has gained experience across nearly every level of college athletics. He served as athletic director at UW-Whitewater (1999–2003), where the Warhawks enjoyed tremendous success across multiple sports, before moving on to lead the athletic departments at Miami (2011–2012) and Nebraska (2012–2017).

Most recently, Eichorst has served as deputy athletic director and chief operating officer at Texas, helping oversee one of the country’s premier athletic departments during a period of major growth and investment.

His résumé checks many of the boxes Wisconsin was likely seeking.

Eichorst combines Wisconsin roots with prior Badgers experience, Big Ten familiarity, Power Four administrative leadership, and a legal and business background that will become increasingly valuable as college athletics continues to navigate NIL and revenue sharing without NCAA guardrails.

The hire is not without scrutiny.

His tenure at Miami was quite brief, and Eichorst also faced criticism during his time as Nebraska’s athletic director, where his decision to move on from longtime football coach Bo Pelini and the program’s subsequent struggles under Mike Riley ultimately led to his dismissal in 2017.

Even so, Wisconsin appears to have prioritized experience, institutional knowledge, and familiarity with the university and its culture over making a splash hire. At a time when fundraising, donor relations, and corporate partnerships have become more important than ever, the Badgers opted for someone who has already held the position and understands the demands that come with it.

Eichorst now steps into one of the most important leadership positions in Wisconsin athletics at a pivotal time. With revenue sharing, NIL, roster management, and the future of college sports continuing to evolve, he’ll inherit an athletic department facing significant change while also overseeing football coach Luke Fickell, men’s basketball coach Greg Gard, and the future direction of one of the Big Ten’s flagship programs.

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Year 4 of the Luke Fickell era is here, and there really is no comfortable way to frame where Wisconsin football stands.

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The Badgers are coming off a 4-8 season and back-to-back losing campaigns. They have missed consecutive bowl games, failed to produce an NFL Draft pick for the first time since 1978, and fielded one of the worst offenses in the country in 2025. The defense has been solid but not dominant, and the program has begun to drift toward the bottom third of the Big Ten rather than climbing back toward relevance.

So, yes, 2026 matters. A lot.

Wisconsin has invested more resources. It has attacked the transfer portal. It has leaned harder into NIL. It has gotten more administrative buy-in. At some point, the conversation has to stop being about what the Badgers do not have and start being about what this staff is doing with what it does. That’s what makes this season feel like an inflection point for the program.

With that in mind, let’s put a pressure rating from 1 to 10 on Wisconsin’s three most important coaches entering the 2026 season.

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As the Wisconsin football program moves through summer workouts and inches closer to fall camp, attention naturally shifts toward the players who are expected to define the 2026 season.

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But every roster has another group worth watching.

These are the players who arrived with expectations, whether because of recruiting profile, transfer pedigree, or early flashes, only to see the buzz cool for one reason or another. Maybe injuries got in the way. Maybe their role changed. Maybe they got passed over by more established players.

That doesn’t mean the book is written.

For Wisconsin to take a step forward in 2026, it will need more than its proven commodities to hit. It also needs a few forgotten pieces to re-emerge, carve out meaningful roles, and put their name back on the radar. With that in mind, BadgerNotes looks at three players who fit that mold.

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The University of Wisconsin football program’s 2027 recruiting class has become one of the bigger storylines of the offseason.

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The Badgers have landed most of their top targets, won recruiting battles against Power Four programs they hadn’t consistently beaten in the past, and built real momentum both nationally and within the state.

Entering official visit season, Wisconsin sat at 13 verbal commitments in the 2027 class, with much of that foundation built around in-state talent. Over the course of just a few weekends in late May and early June, the Badgers staff hosted the bulk of their top targets, came away with commitments from most of them, and posted an eye-opening closing rate in an era when recruiting has become increasingly transactional.

That naturally leads to a bigger question.

Q: The staff is getting a lot of credit for the recruiting heater it’s been on in the 2027 class. What do you think is driving Wisconsin’s success?

-SaukCityBucky

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The Wisconsin football program wasn’t willing to take no for an answer.

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Three months after edge rusher Brody Pfannenstiel committed to Texas Tech, Luke Fickell and the Badgers flipped one of their top remaining defensive targets. The Hoisington (Kan.) standout took official visits to both programs this month before flipping his commitment to Wisconsin.

“100% Committed. 🦡🔴 Thank you, God,” Pfannenstiel wrote.

The commitment represents another notable recruiting win for Wisconsin’s staff coming out of official visit season. That said, this one required considerably more patience than most.

Pfannenstiel committed to Texas Tech in March and appeared firmly locked into the Red Raiders’ class. Wisconsin, however, never backed away from the recruitment. Outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell was persistent, continuing to build the relationship and eventually convincing the talented pass rusher to take an official visit and check out campus.

That decision changed everything.

Standing at roughly 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, Pfannenstiel possesses many of the traits that Wisconsin has prioritized under Fickell. He’s long, athletic, plays multiple sports, and still appears to have significant room for continued physical development. A standout in football, basketball, and track and field, Pfannenstiel’s athletic profile jumps off the page.

Wisconsin’s staff sees him fitting into the SAM linebacker role within the defense, where his versatility can be maximized as both a pass rusher and occasional coverage defender. That skill set complements fellow 2027 edge commitments Isaac Miller and Darin Graham, giving the Badgers a trio of prospects who bring different strengths to the position while helping build depth and versatility along the defensive front.

The production backs up Pfannenstiel’s evaluation.

As a junior, Pfannenstiel recorded 54 tackles, four sacks, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery en route to First-Team All-State recognition in Kansas. He also made an impact offensively, adding 790 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns as a tight end and running back while showcasing the athleticism that talent evaluators fell in love with.

Turn on the HUDL film, and it’s easy to understand why Power Four programs came calling.

Pfannenstiel plays with a relentless motor, closes quickly, and flashes the burst off the edge that coaches covet. While there is still technical refinement ahead, Wisconsin is betting heavily on athleticism and upside.

The recruiting battle itself makes the commitment even more noteworthy. Pfannenstiel chose Wisconsin over Texas Tech, and he also held scholarship offers from programs such as Iowa, Illinois, Kansas State, Louisville, Missouri, Minnesota, Michigan State, Duke, and several others.

His pledge also continues a run of recruiting success that Wisconsin has put together throughout official visit season. The Badgers entered official visits with a strong foundation largely made up of in-state recruits already in place. Since then, they’ve consistently turned visits from their top targets into commitments while climbing the national recruiting rankings.

Wisconsin currently sits at 23 commitments and ranks No. 18 nationally in the 247Sports Composite Team Recruiting Rankings, a reflection of the momentum the staff has generated throughout the summer.

At this stage, the class is largely complete, with only a handful of potential spots remaining as the staff reserves room for a late senior evaluation, an unexpected opportunity, or a potential need to backfill a future departure.

For Wisconsin, this wasn’t simply about adding another edge defender. It was about identifying a priority target, refusing to take no for an answer once another school earned his commitment, and ultimately convincing one of the top prospects in Kansas that his future belonged in Madison.

We appreciate you taking the time to read our work at BadgerNotes.com. Your support means the world to us and has helped us become a leading independent source for Wisconsin Badgers coverage.

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The road to earning a scholarship offer from the Wisconsin football staff didn’t come until later in the recruiting process for 2027 offensive lineman Jack Tabbert. But when the opportunity arrived, he made the most of it.

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Before becoming the latest addition to Luke Fickell’s recruiting class, the Pewaukee standout was committed to North Dakota State. Wisconsin had yet to offer, and Tabbert’s recruitment was headed in a different direction.

Then came an opportunity.

After camping in Madison and competing in front of offensive line coach Eric Mateos and the Badgers staff, Tabbert turned that opportunity into a scholarship offer from his home-state school. Not long after, he flipped his commitment and became part of Wisconsin’s 2027 recruiting class.

Looking back, the experience validated a decision to bet on himself.

“It was an unreal payout,” Tabbert told BadgerNotes. “I am super happy that I decided to go [to camp] and bet on myself and earn that offer.”

For Tabbert, the opportunity to stay home carried extra meaning. Growing up in Wisconsin, the chance to play for the state’s flagship program was difficult to ignore. Beyond football, he believes representing his home state will provide an added level of motivation once he arrives on campus.

“I think being able to play for my home state will just give me that extra little passion and drive for everything, which is only achieved by representing something you really take pride in,” Tabbert said.

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The Wisconsin football program has spent much of June hosting and landing official visitors from its highly ranked 2027 recruiting class. This weekend, however, the staff’s focus shifted toward the future.

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Luke Fickell and his staff welcomed an impressive collection of 2028 prospects to Madison for the program’s annual “Bucky’s BBQ” recruiting event, allowing some of the Badgers’ top targets to get on campus, spend time around the coaches, and get a feel for what Wisconsin has to offer.

The timing is important.

June 15 marks a significant date on the recruiting calendar, as college coaches are allowed to begin direct communication with incoming juniors. Events like Bucky’s BBQ have become an opportunity for programs to establish relationships before recruiting battles actually begin.

And Wisconsin assembled one of its better visitor lists in recent memory.

The group included several highly ranked prospects from both inside and outside the state, including Georgia running back Kevin Hartsfield, Illinois defensive back Logan Thompson, quarterback Matthew Lee, Wisconsin Dells defensive lineman Hendrix Dawson, and Hartland Arrowhead tight end Tre Oiler, one of the top-rated in-state prospects in the 2028 class, along with a host of other 4-star recruits and targets.

For Wisconsin, that’s where the story begins.

After falling short in years past, the Badgers dominated in-state recruiting during the 2027 cycle, securing commitments from many of the state’s top prospects (10 total) while assembling one of the strongest recruiting classes in the program’s modern recruiting-rankings era. Now, the challenge for this coaching staff becomes repeating that success in 2028.

BadgerNotes caught up with several recruits in attendance to get their thoughts on the visit, their conversations with the staff, and where Wisconsin stands in their recruitment. We’ll also share a few additional recruiting notes and takeaways from a busy weekend on campus.

• Hendrix Dawson (DL, Wisconsin Dells, WI) — The 6-foot-3, 285-pound defensive lineman remains one of Wisconsin’s top in-state priorities in the 2028 cycle. Dawson already holds scholarship offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Maryland, Minnesota, Northwestern, and SMU. Dawson has been a longstanding defensive target for the Badgers staff.

Dawson said one of the biggest takeaways from the visit was getting a glimpse of what life inside the program would actually look like.

“We had a lot of fun this visit, it wasn’t just business and football,” Dawson told BadgerNotes. “We did a scavenger hunt around the city and had a lot of fun. Coach [E.J.] Whitlow was driving, and Coach [Bryan] Sanborn and I were collecting clues. We also went through what a day looks like for an incoming freshman football player, and that helped me picture what life would be like for me in the Badgers program.”

The relationship with defensive line coach E.J. Whitlow has also continued to strengthen throughout the recruitment.

“My relationship with Coach Whitlow has been steady,” Dawson said. “He communicates well and keeps things real, which I like. I am always impressed with our position meetings. He is smart in how he breaks down the game. It’s been a good process so far. The consistency with which I get invited to these events has really helped these relationships grow.”

• Anthony Busby Jr. (LB, St. Louis, MO) — Another notable visitor was linebacker Anthony Busby Jr., a 6-foot-1, 215-pound linebacker from St. Louis who brings a wrestling background. Busby spent time with inside linebackers coach Tuf Borland and defensive coordinator Mike Tressel during the visit, as Wisconsin continues to build relationships with one of the more intriguing and versatile defensive prospects in Missouri.

Busby, who holds scholarship offers from Nebraska, Kansas State, Missouri, and Arizona State, said a few things in particular stood out.

“What stood out most today was getting to do activities with Coach Borland, driving around campus and learning about the history of the program and all the great things they’ve got coming,” Busby said.

The St. Louis University standout also came away with a clearer picture of how Wisconsin envisions him fitting into its defense.

“Coach Borland matched my film with some of the linebackers in his room, and the first things they mentioned were how aggressive I play the game and my ability to make reads and tackles fast. They see me playing that MIKE linebacker position, like Cooper Catalano, getting sent on blitzes and being that field general.”

• Collin Burris (OL, Marysville, OH) — Another offensive line prospect worth monitoring is Collin Burris out of Marysville, Ohio.

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The Wisconsin football program continues to add to what is quickly becoming one of the deepest position groups in its 2027 recruiting class.

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This time, the Badgers went into Texas and landed a commitment from Allen High School safety James “Trey” Roberson, who announced his pledge to Wisconsin not long after taking an official visit to Madison.

“I’m Home Badger Nation! #OnWisconsin #LetsWork,” Roberson wrote.

For Wisconsin, the commitment represents another recruiting win at a position that the staff has clearly prioritized.

Roberson becomes the third safety committed in the 2027 cycle, joining Dustin Roach and DJ Davis as the Badgers continue stockpiling talent in the secondary. Wisconsin safeties coach Jack Cooper took the lead on the recruitment and views the Texas native as a deep safety. This role places a premium on physicality, range, and reliability in coverage.

Those traits are part of what made Roberson such an attractive target.

At roughly 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, Roberson already possesses a college-ready frame. Add in verified speed in the 4.4 range and the athletic profile becomes even more intriguing. He is the type of defender capable of matching up in coverage while still bringing enough size and toughness to be effective near the line of scrimmage.

The production backs it up.

As a junior at Allen High School, one of Texas’ premier football programs, Roberson recorded 60 tackles, two interceptions, six pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, and a defensive touchdown while helping anchor the Eagles’ secondary.

Turn on the film and a clear pattern emerges.

Roberson plays fast, but more importantly, he plays physical. He closes quickly, arrives with bad intentions as a tackler, and consistently finds himself around the football. Whether defending the run, breaking on underneath routes, or providing support over the top, he plays with the confidence of a player who has already faced high-level competition.

Wisconsin wasn’t the only program that noticed.

Roberson held more than 30 scholarship offers, including opportunities from Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Baylor, Arkansas, Auburn, Nebraska, Michigan State, UCLA, Vanderbilt, SMU, Kansas State, and several others. His finalists ultimately came down to Wisconsin, TCU, Mississippi State, and UCF before the Badgers secured the verbal commitment.

The timing also continues what has been an impressive run on the recruiting trail.

Wisconsin entered official visit season with a lot of the early groundwork already completed in the 2027 cycle. Since then, the Badgers staff has turned multiple visit weekends into commitments, steadily climbing the national recruiting rankings while adding talent from across the country.

As things currently stand, Wisconsin sits at 22 commitments and ranks No. 13 nationally in the 247Sports Composite Team Recruiting Rankings.

Roberson is the latest addition to that momentum.

For a coaching staff intent on adding more athleticism, versatility, and playmaking ability to the secondary, Wisconsin believes it landed another piece capable of helping shape the future of its defensive backfield.

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The Wisconsin football program has added another homegrown piece to its 2027 recruiting class.

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Pewaukee offensive lineman Jack Tabbert announced his commitment to Wisconsin, flipping from North Dakota State and giving offensive line coach Eric Mateos yet another in-state addition as the Badgers continue building one of the most Wisconsin-heavy classes in recent memory.

“🔴⚪️IM HOME⚪️🔴 🦡🦡🦡,” Tabbert wrote.

With Tabbert now in the fold, Wisconsin has secured commitments from 10 in-state prospects in the 2027 cycle. Specifically along the offensive line, Tabbert joins Cole Reiter, Ethan McIntosh, and twins Hunter and Reece Mallinger, giving Mateos five offensive line commitments and further reinforcing the staff’s emphasis on keeping top local talent home.

“The Wall is up around this state, and I’ll die to keep it that way 🦡💪🏼,” Mateos wrote on social media following the commitment.

For a coaching staff that has consistently preached the importance of winning recruiting battles inside Wisconsin, this one also fits the vision.

Tabbert wasn’t originally expected to end up in Madison. North Dakota State identified Tabbert early, extending a first scholarship offer in January before eventually securing his commitment in March. But after camping with Wisconsin’s staff, the Badgers entered the picture with a late scholarship offer, quickly changing the trajectory of his recruitment.

The opportunity to stay home ultimately proved difficult to pass up.

“After a new opportunity has arose and some careful consideration, I have decided to decommit from North Dakota State University,” Tabbert wrote. “I am extremely grateful for all the coaches and staff that believed in me, invested their time in me, and gave me the opportunity.”

Standing at roughly 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds, Tabbert projects as an interior offensive lineman at the next level. He has spent time at multiple positions during his high school career, but his future likely lies at center or guard. That’s where Wisconsin believes Tabbert’s combination of size, toughness, and movement skills can be maximized over time.

Turn on the HUDL film, and one thing stands out immediately: he plays with an edge.

Tabbert consistently looks to finish blocks, moves well in space for a player his size, and shows the type of physical demeanor offensive line coaches love to build around. Whether pulling across the formation or working to the second level, he plays with a level of aggression that fits the identity Wisconsin has traditionally sought along the offensive front.

The unranked lineman’s offer list may not carry the same national headlines as some of Wisconsin’s recent commitments. That said, programs such as FAU, Northern Illinois, Central Michigan, New Mexico State, South Dakota, Liberty, Yale, and Harvard all saw enough to extend scholarships. That doesn’t diminish the importance of the addition.

Wisconsin has historically built its best teams around strong offensive line play. The Badgers believe Tabbert has the traits, work ethic, and upside to continue that tradition alongside a talented in-state group that the staff hopes to develop, retain, and grow together over time.

And as the 2027 class continues to grow, Wisconsin’s message remains clear: if the Badgers want to get back to Big Ten relevance and compete for championships, protecting the borders of their own state still matters.

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The University of Wisconsin football program added another piece to its growing 2027 recruiting class when Chicago-area edge defender Darin Graham announced his commitment to Luke Fickell and the Badgers.

“Blessed to announce my commitment to Wisconsin ALL GLORY TO GOD!” Graham wrote.

For Wisconsin, this one feels particularly significant because the Badgers had to beat out a handful of serious contenders to get it done.

Graham entered the summer with Wisconsin, Ole Miss, and Georgia Tech sitting at the top of his recruitment after narrowing his scholarship list to include Kentucky, Purdue, Minnesota, and several other Power Four programs. But shortly after Graham’s official visit to Madison, the Mount Carmel standout ultimately decided that the Badgers were the right fit.

That decision gives Wisconsin another addition from one of the Midwest’s premier high school football programs. Mount Carmel has produced Power Four talent for decades, including current Badgers running back Darrion Dupree. Notably, Graham has helped the Caravan capture two state championships while earning CCL Blue All-Conference honors as a junior.

The physical traits are what initially jump off the page.

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The Wisconsin football program’s recruiting momentum from its first official visit weekend has carried directly into its second.

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This time, the Badgers staff reached into Big Sky country and landed a verbal commitment from Montana’s top-ranked prospect in the 2027 cycle when Great Falls standout Steele Harris announced his pledge to Luke Fickell and Wisconsin following his official visit to Madison.

“Let’s Work,” Harris wrote.

For a program looking to add more size, speed, and playmaking ability on the perimeter, Harris checks a lot of boxes.

At 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Harris arrives with the frame of a Power Four receiver and the athletic profile to match. Several schools recruited him as an athlete, but Wisconsin thinks wide receiver is the best long-term fit. The combination of length, ball skills, and versatility made him one of the more intriguing receiver targets on Wisconsin’s board in this cycle.

And when you look at the production, it isn’t hard to understand why.

During his junior season at Great Falls High School, Harris hauled in 42 receptions for 781 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging nearly 19 yards per catch. He also carried the ball 40 times for 460 yards and five scores, giving his coaching staff another weapon to deploy offensively.

But Harris wasn’t finished there.

Defensively, he added 52 tackles, nine tackles for loss, five sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble, showcasing the type of all-around athleticism that has made him one of Montana’s most coveted prospects.

That versatility is a recurring theme throughout his evaluation.

Turn on the HUDL film, and you’ll see a player who can win in multiple ways. Harris has enough speed to stretch defenses vertically, enough size to win contested catches, and enough athleticism after the catch to create explosive plays. His track background only reinforces what shows up on tape, where he routinely pulls away from defenders in the open field.

There’s also a strong football pedigree behind the prospect.

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