Wisconsin football flips 2026 WR Keeyshawn Tabuteau from Vanderbilt
Class of 2026 wide receiver Keeyshawn Tabuteau has flipped his verbal commitment from Vanderbilt to the Wisconsin Badgers.
The Wisconsin football coaching staff worked fast to find a replacement for Jayden Petit, and they didn’t have to wait long to land one.
Three-star wide receiver Keeyshawn Tabuteau announced that he is flipping his verbal commitment from Vanderbilt to Wisconsin, giving the Badgers a much-needed shot in the arm late in the cycle at a position that suddenly started to look pretty thin heading into National Signing Day.
The 6-foot wideout from Chattanooga (Tenn.) had been committed to Vanderbilt since June, but after conversations ramped up, he made the decision to reopen his recruitment and join Wisconsin’s 2026 class.
Tabuteau’s late addition helps change the complexion of Wisconsin’s wide receiver board. The Badgers first offered him back in May of 2024, long before they knew they’d need to circle back, and his profile fits exactly what Wisconsin wants at the position under receivers coach Jordan Reid.
According to the composite rankings, Tabuteau sits at No. 571 nationally, No. 79 among wide receivers, and No. 17 in the state of Tennessee, with an offer sheet that reflects a player who outperformed his rankings. He held offers from Georgia, Miami, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Auburn, Arkansas, Kentucky, Colorado, and Vanderbilt, among others, that showed interest.
And for good reason.
Tabuteau has been one of the most dangerous playmakers in Tennessee high school football over the last two seasons, helping the McCallie School win back-to-back state championships. He’s a legitimate speed threat who can win vertically, run by defenders, and pressure secondaries in ways you can’t coach. The track numbers help paint the picture. He has a reported 10.81 in the 100 meters, but the HUDL film helps confirm it. Tabuteau accelerates with ease, consistently creates separation, and flashes a more complete route tree than most high school receivers at this stage.
His production this fall was impressive. According to MaxPreps, Tabuteau finished his senior season with 56 catches for 1,231 yards and 16 touchdowns — the kind of production that backs up the athletic profile.
For Wisconsin, this commitment hits multiple needs at once. The Badgers were left scrambling after four-star wideout Jayden Petit flipped to Oklahoma, leaving Zion Legree as the lone receiver in the 2026 class. Adding Tabuteau stabilizes things, adds a potential big-play threat, and gives Reid another athlete who fits the mold of what he’s been trying to build: smart and fast pass catchers who can move around the formation.
Coach Reid also deserves some acknowledgment. Even with Wisconsin’s offense struggling mightily, he’s continued to build real relationships and sell a long-term vision to wideouts. He briefly secured one of the highest-rated receiver commits in program history, and when that piece flipped late in the cycle, Reid pivoted quickly to land a quality replacement without much notice. Wisconsin still needs more at the position, no doubt, but Reid finding a solid prospect on short notice is a win he’s earned.
The timing of this flip matters, too. Wisconsin needed an answer after losing Petit and Tayshon Bardo, and they needed it quickly. Tabuteau’s addition gives the Badgers some momentum heading into the early signing period and keeps the class on track at a spot that needs bodies.
Tabuteau becomes the third verbal commitment in Wisconsin’s 2026 class, joining Yahya Gaad and Djidjou Bah — a group that’s starting to show the recruiting footprint that this staff wants to continue building.
In the end, Wisconsin found what it needed — a dynamic wideout with legitimate speed and plenty of notable Power Four offers. And now, just days before the early singing period, the Badgers have their replacement.
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.
You can also follow Site Publisher Dillon Graff at @DillonGraff on X.