Wisconsin football lands commitment from 2026 LB Aden Reeder
Wisconsin football beats out several Big Ten rivals for 2026 linebacker Aden Reeder. Breaking down what he brings to the Badgers and why his commitment matters.
Sometimes, recruiting is about finding the right fit — and the University of Wisconsin football program just added a key piece to its 2026 class at linebacker.
Aden Reeder, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound junior out of Cincinnati’s St. Xavier High School in Ohio, announced his verbal commitment to the Badgers, becoming the seventh pledge in the recruiting cycle.
"New home away from home 🦡🦡," Reeder wrote in an Instagram post.
Reeder chose Wisconsin over several Big Ten rivals, including Iowa and Minnesota, and held scholarship offers from Michigan State, Cincinnati, Boston College, Indiana, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.
On the surface, this looks like another strong evaluation by Luke Fickell and his coaching staff, especially inside a state they’ve worked hard to recruit since arriving in Madison after a successful stint at Cincinnati.
Reeder is listed as a three-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite rankings, checking in as the No. 530 overall player nationally, the No. 41 linebacker, and the No. 23 recruit in Ohio — a state the Badgers are making a priority pipeline.
He previously set an official visit to Wisconsin for June 6, but after locking in his spot early, that trip now becomes a chance to solidify relationships and start recruiting his future teammates.
Let’s talk about what Wisconsin is getting.
When you flip on the film, Reeder jumps out right away.
As a junior, Reeder racked up 72 total tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks while primarily lining up as a stand-up edge rusher. But the plan for him at Wisconsin isn’t to stay on the edge — it’s to develop into an inside linebacker under defensive coordinator Mike Tressel, following a trend we’ve seen with longer, athletic backers like Christian Alliegro, Thomas Heiberger, incoming freshman Mason Posa, and a few others.
The athletic profile is intriguing: strong hands to shed blocks, good patience diagnosing plays, and an ability to close in a hurry. Reeder shows good instincts as a blitzer, using a quick first step and natural bend to get around blockers — traits that could translate nicely to some of the pressure packages Wisconsin likes to use with its linebackers.
Of course, projecting an outside linebacker to the inside isn’t always a sure thing. How quickly Reeder picks up the nuances of playing inside — recognizing route combinations, fitting the run, maintaining coverage integrity when asked to man up, and quarterbacking the defense with pre-snap communication — will determine his early role.
From a raw tools standpoint, there’s plenty to work with. And with Reeder's frame, I don’t think it’ll take much for him to pack on some good weight once he gets into Brady Collins’ strength and conditioning program without losing the athleticism that makes him an intriguing fit.
The importance of Reeder’s commitment goes beyond the field, too.
St. Xavier is an annual powerhouse in Ohio high school football, and continuing to pull players from that program helps strengthen Wisconsin’s recruiting ties in a region that’s produced a lot of winning players for Fickell in the past. Tuf Borland, the Badgers' new assistant linebackers coach — and a former standout linebacker at Ohio State — helped close the deal here, visiting Reeder’s family ahead of the commitment. The relationship-building aspect of this one can’t be overlooked.
This also gives the Wisconsin Badgers staff a little momentum at linebacker heading into a busy June. With spots starting to fill up in the 2026 class and more official visit season on the horizon, getting a player of Reeder’s caliber locked in now was a smart move for both sides.
Is Reeder a can’t-miss blue-chip prospect? No. But he fits what Wisconsin is trying to build. Long frame. Athletic enough to impact multiple phases of the defense. Tough. Smart. Coachable. He’s exactly the type of prospect you want in your locker room, and if he buys in and continues to develop, he’s the kind of player who could outplay his ranking and become a nice piece in the middle of the Badgers’ defense down the line.
Reeder becomes the seventh known commitment in the 2026 class, joining quarterback Ryan Hopkins, wide receiver Tayshon Bardo, cornerback Carsen Eloms, interior offensive lineman Benjamin Novak, edge rusher Carmelow Reed, and offensive tackle Maddox Cochrane.
Wisconsin beat out some legitimate competition for Reeder, and at a time when recruiting battles are getting tighter across the Big Ten, that’s the kind of win you quietly stack while building toward a bigger picture.
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