Wisconsin football loses 2026 WR commit as Jayden Petit flips to Oklahoma
Wisconsin has lost 4-star WR Jayden Petit from its 2026 recruiting class after flipping to Oklahoma, a tough blow for the Badgers ahead of National Signing Day.
For all the ups and downs the Wisconsin football program’s 2026 class has weathered, the latest setback is one of the toughest ones to stomach. The Badgers just lost one of their cornerstone commits, as 4-star wide receiver Jayden Petit announced he is flipping to Oklahoma.
And truthfully, this wasn’t a complete surprise.
Petit had been grappling with concerns about the Wisconsin Badgers’ struggling passing offense and was reevaluating his options. The writing was on the wall for this one, and his announcement made it official. In a lengthy message posted on social media, Petit explained that the decision to decommit came after what he described as extensive prayer and reflection.
“After a great deal of thought, prayer, and honest reflection, I have made the very difficult decision to decommit from the University of Wisconsin,” Petit wrote. He also expressed gratitude toward Wisconsin’s staff, adding, “This was not an easy choice. I want to personally thank Coach Fickell, Coach Reid, Coach Grimes, Zach Zilm, Ethan Russo, and Pat Lambert for believing in me, investing in me, and taking the time to build a genuine relationship throughout this process.
“Every conversation, every visit, and every moment spent learning about Wisconsin meant a great deal to me.”
Petit originally committed in June, choosing Wisconsin over an impressive offer list that included Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee, Miami, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Auburn, Notre Dame, Penn State, and North Carolina, among others. At the time, it was one of the defining victories of the cycle, a 6-foot-4 outside receiver with significant production and real upside.
Maintaining that commitment, however, was always going to be a battle.
Brent Venables and his staff at Oklahoma never backed off, even after his verbal commitment, and Petit made another trip to Norman in October. That visit kept the door open long enough for things to eventually shift, and on Thanksgiving, Petit made the flip to Oklahoma official.
His departure adds to a trend Wisconsin can’t ignore.
Petit is now the fifth high school prospect to decommit from the Badgers’ 2026 class since giving their initial pledge, joining Maddox Cochrane, Benjamin Novak, Aden Reeder, and Tayshon Bardo. Zion Legree is now the only remaining wide receiver commit for position coach Jordan Reid.
The sting of losing Petit is worse when you consider his long-term upside. He was one of the most productive receivers in Florida over the past three seasons for St. John Neumann High School. As a sophomore, he posted 66 catches for 1,141 yards and 16 touchdowns; as a junior, he added 50 receptions for 777 yards and 12 scores.
And this fall, despite playing only seven regular-season games, he still erupted for 54 catches, 1,224 yards, and 22 touchdowns, then opened the playoffs with another standout performance. Losing that level of production and upside is no small thing.
In the composite rankings, Petit checks in at No. 167 nationally, No. 24 among wide receivers, and No. 24 in the state of Florida. Petit was one of the top-rated pass catchers the Badgers had landed in quite some time and was slated to be Wisconsin’s first four-star wide receiver commitment since Paul Chryst signed Danny Davis back in 2017.
The timing of the announcement makes this loss hit a little harder. Wisconsin finally looked like it was building momentum again after picking up two wins in the last three weeks, both coming against ranked opponents, to calm the waters after a turbulent few months in recruiting.
If there’s an upside here, it’s that Wisconsin at least had warning signs. The staff knew Petit’s concerns and understood this was a possibility, even if they hoped the recent on-field progress and strong relationships would be enough to keep him.
Now the focus turns to rebuilding the wide receiver board, recalibrating the class’s overall structure, and ensuring the positive momentum the coaching staff finally built doesn’t evaporate.
Petit closed his decommitment note with gratitude toward Wisconsin and an explanation that the decision was rooted in personal conviction.
“Thank you again to the entire Wisconsin staff and fanbase for everything,” Petit said. “This decision is about following the path I believe God is leading me toward, and I will always be grateful for the experience and relationships built along the way.”
Every coaching staff knows nothing is final until a recruit signs on the dotted line, and a talent like Petit was always going to be difficult to keep locked in. Still, Wisconsin was hoping this one would hold. Instead, they won’t get the happy ending they were pushing for, and it’s one more twist to navigate as they push toward the finish line in the 2026 cycle.
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