Wisconsin football lands commitment from 2026 OL Brady Bekkenhuis
Wisconsin football has flipped the commitment of 2026 4-star offensive lineman Brady Bekkenhuis, who was a former Boston College pledge.
The Wisconsin football program picked up a significant win on the recruiting trail, flipping 2026 4-star offensive lineman Brady Bekkenhuis from his long-standing verbal commitment to Boston College.
The Arlington, Massachusetts native made things official shortly after taking his official recruiting visit to Madison — a trip that happened to fall on the weekend Wisconsin knocked off No. 21 Illinois.
Seeing that game-day environment up close gave Bekkenhuis a look at what the program is trying to build, and the Badgers walked away with an important late-cycle pickup at a position where they desperately needed some reinforcements.
“After careful reconsideration with my family and loved ones, I have decided to commit to the University of Wisconsin,” Bekkenhuis wrote.
This wasn’t a recruitment Wisconsin was involved in for very long. In fact, the Badgers didn’t extend a scholarship offer until November 18, when offensive line coach AJ Blazek, who has his first commit in the cycle, jumped into the race.
But the staff saw an opportunity, got him on campus, and made an impression that altered the trajectory of his recruitment.
Bekkenhuis originally committed to Boston College back in August 2024, choosing the Eagles over Syracuse, Maryland, and Rutgers. He remained locked in for more than a year with Bill O’Brien’s staff and had repeatedly spoken highly of the relationship he built there. That loyalty makes Wisconsin’s late surge all the more notable, especially considering that Auburn had also jumped into the picture and scheduled an upcoming visit.
What put Wisconsin in a position to flip Bekkenhuis? The scheme.
Bekkenhuis gravitated toward what Wisconsin has historically been built on: toughness at the point of attack, a blue-collar edge, and an offensive line culture that still carries weight even as the scheme evolves.
He’s a physical finisher on the interior who plays with good leverage, and the program’s identity matched the way he’s wired. For him, the connection wasn’t complex; Wisconsin checked the boxes that matter to a lineman.
There’s also the on-field evaluation. Bekkenhuis is a really talented pickup for this staff this late in the 2026 cycle. At 6-foot-6 and around 285 pounds, he brings a frame that shouldn’t take long to become Big Ten ready, paired with the kind of movement skills that jump off the screen. His mobility and low pad level could make him a viable center option, while his lateral quickness and body control are essentially tailor-made for guard.
In the 247Sports composite rankings, Bekkenhuis checks in at No. 394 nationally, No. 39 among offensive tackles, and No. 3 in the state of Massachusetts, even if the Badgers view him as an interior prospect.
For Wisconsin, the timing couldn’t be better. The Badgers recently lost two offensive line commits in the 2026 class in Maddox Cochrane and Benjamin Novak, and were searching for a replacement who fit the long-term profile they want under Blazek and Jeff Grimes.
Bekkenhuis is now the lone offensive lineman in Wisconsin’s 2026 class and the second 4-star in a group that’s been hanging on by a thread, yet still has room to grow with a couple of late additions.
Based on the tools Bekkenhuis brings, he’s not just a depth piece or a placeholder. He fits the mold of what Wisconsin needs as it works to rebuild the offensive line pipeline: athletic, nimble, assignment-sound linemen who can play multiple roles and grow into a steady contributor.
What’s clear is that this is the kind of win Wisconsin needed in the 2026 cycle: a flip of a four-star lineman who fits the mold of a talented player the Badgers can develop over time. This program still has major needs to address before National Signing Day, but securing Bekkenhuis gives them a real building block and a course correction after some tough departures.
In a tough luck season when Luke Fickell and Wisconsin are trying to claw their way back toward Big Ten relevance, this is the kind of recruiting momentum that actually moves the needle — and the late-season surge they’ve managed despite a laundry list of injuries certainly hasn’t hurt.
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