The Wisconsin football program has gone back into Big Ten territory to strengthen its 2027 recruiting class.
Wisconsin flipped linebacker Blake Betton from Penn State, giving Luke Fickell and the Badgers another regional recruiting win while taking a commitment directly from a conference opponent.
“Badger Nation, we home,” Betton wrote.
Betton, a 6-foot-3, roughly 210-pound linebacker from Shakopee High School in Minnesota, had been committed to Penn State since April. He originally chose the Nittany Lions over offers from Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Auburn, Missouri, and several other Power Four programs.
Matt Campbell heavily influenced his path to Penn State.
Campbell originally recruited Betton at Iowa State before taking over at Penn State, and Betton became one of the first 2027 linebackers his new staff prioritized. That existing relationship, along with linebackers coach Tyson Veidt, helped Penn State land his commitment during a spring visit.
Wisconsin never completely disappeared from the picture.
The Badgers had recruited Betton extensively before his commitment, with inside linebackers coach Tuf Borland playing a prominent role. Betton had made multiple trips to Madison, including a game-day visit, Junior Day and a spring practice, and had previously spoken positively about the atmosphere at Camp Randall and his relationship with Wisconsin’s staff.
That persistence eventually paid off.
Betton returned to Wisconsin for another visit this fall, and the Badgers were able to turn an established relationship into a commitment change.
From a roster-building standpoint, Betton gives Wisconsin an athletic linebacker with a background that’s a little different from a traditional downhill player.
He began his high school career at safety before growing into more of a hybrid linebacker role, and that history still shows up in his game. Betton moves well in space, has experience playing in coverage, and possesses enough ball skills to affect the passing game. He also plays basketball for Howard Pulley on the EYBL circuit, further illustrating his athletic profile.
Betton recorded approximately 87 tackles and four interceptions as a sophomore before following that with 88 tackles, four tackles for loss, four pass breakups and two interceptions during his junior season.
Recruiting services view him as a top-five prospect in Minnesota’s 2027 class. He is a composite three-star linebacker and a top-500 player nationally, joining Keaton Wollan and Nathan Jones as Wisconsin’s linebacker commits in the class.
There is still plenty of physical development ahead.
Betton will need to keep filling out his frame and adding good weight before he becomes a Big Ten-caliber linebacker. But the appeal in adding a player like this is easy to understand. He already has the length, instincts, and coverage ability Wisconsin can build around, with additional room to grow physically once he gets into a college strength program.
For Wisconsin, the larger takeaway is where this recruitment came from. Betton was not an overlooked prospect the Badgers discovered late. They wanted him, lost him to another Big Ten program, and kept recruiting.
Wisconsin’s coaching staff stayed on Betton throughout the process and ultimately turned that persistence into a flip from a Big Ten rival. He becomes the 23rd commitment in the Badgers’ 2027 recruiting class.
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