Wisconsin football finding its footing again with in-state recruiting
A strong start to the 2027 class points to progress in Wisconsin football's in-state recruiting ability, but whether it signals lasting change remains uncertain.
During the Luke Fickell era at Wisconsin, there’s been a lot of debate around one topic in particular.
In-state recruiting.
For a program that built its identity on keeping the best players in Wisconsin home since the Barry Alvarez administration, there’s been a belief that the Badgers staff wasn’t prioritizing it the way it once did, and that relationships across the state had taken a hit along the way.
Now, at least in the 2027 cycle, that narrative is starting to shift.
The Wisconsin Badgers currently hold eight commitments in the class. Notably, all eight verbal commits are from prospects inside state lines — a group that currently includes tight end Korz Loken, offensive linemen Cole Reiter, Hunter and Reece Mallinger, Ethan McIntosh, running back Kingston Allen, edge rusher Isaac Miller, and safety Dustin Roach.
That’s not something you stumble into.
“It’s everything,” Fickell said regarding what’s changed with in-state recruiting. “I think that the good thing about it all is I think that you are seeing, at least on the recruiting side of things, there’s a confidence level in the things that we’re doing.”
That confidence hasn’t always been easy to see from the outside.
Fickell’s recruiting staff has faced an uphill battle landing in-state talent since arriving in 2023. Wisconsin consistently missed on several of its top targets early on. Many were considered high-end prospects that held Badger offers but chose to leave the state for other Big Ten programs.
In cycles where the local talent pool wasn’t especially deep, those misses stood out even more, leaving the Badgers with thin in-state hauls and raising real questions about the program’s footing within its own borders.
“Sometimes it’s hard to see because it always comes down to wins,” Fickell said. “But guys that are inside the program, guys that come to the program, they do see something that’s growing. That’s a big thing for us.”
Two things can be true at once.
