Tag: ben nichols

Wisconsin football loses out on top-ranked 2026 offensive line target

Wisconsin football loses out on top-ranked 2026 offensive line target

Wisconsin top class of 2026 target Ben Nichols announced his commitment to the University of Notre Dame on Tuesday.

On Dec. 6, shortly after his unofficial visit to Madison, the four-star recruit whittled his final list of collegiate landing spots down to Wisconsin, Tennessee, Notre Dame and Penn State.

The Fighting Irish, who are set to square off against No. 5 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, emerged as the front-runner after that point.

Since then, a bevy of recruiting analysts from both Rivals and 247Sports have crafted forecasts projecting Nichols to land in South Bend. All seven of the available predictions on the two recruiting outlets considered Notre Dame as Nichols’ clear-cut landing spot.

Nonetheless, Wisconsin’s rich history in producing top-tier offensive linemen kept it in the mix. Whether it be Joe Thomas, Kevin Zeitler, Rob Havenstein, Ryan Ramczyk or Travis Frederick, UW knows how to produce NFL-ready players at the position.

As of Dec. 24, Wisconsin’s starting offensive line in 2025 projects to feature Riley Mahlman (right tackle), J.P. Benzschawel (right guard), Jake Renfro (center), Joe Brunner (left guard) and Kevin Heywood (left tackle). While Nichols’ collegiate future won’t begin until 2026, his talent suggests he could fit in immediately at almost any type of program.

247Sports’ composite ranking currently considers Nichols the No. 244 overall recruit in the class of 2026, No. 16 interior offensive lineman and No. 3 prospect from his home state of Michigan. Notre Dame will officially be adding another blue-chip recruit to an already stacked program.

Notre Dame football gets a commitment from 4-star 2026 offensive lineman

The Irish are building an impressive line class in 2026

Christmas came a bit early for the Notre Dame football program, as they added yet another offensive lineman to its 2026 recruiting class.

While extremely early, the Irish got a commitment from Michigan interior offensive lineman Sullivan Garvin at the beginning of this month, and their recruiting invasion of the Mitten State continued on Tuesday.

[autotag]Ben Nichols[/autotag] committed to Notre Dame over his other three finalist of Wisconsin, Penn State and Tennessee. The 6-foot, 5-inch and 315-pounder will most likely play right tackle for the Irish. Nichols is rated as the No. 227 overall prospect and No. 3 player in the state according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Offensive lineman coach Joe Rudolph, and his predecessors, have done a great job of identifying talent along the line even when their recruiting rankings wouldn’t suggest as much. If Nichols is a take for the Irish, he’s most likely a very good player who will help Notre Dame in the coming seasons.

Notre Dame’s offensive line is a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award
Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph speaks with Notre Dame quarterback Kenny Minchey (8) before a NCAA college football game against Florida State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in South Bend.

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Wisconsin 2026 iOL target includes Badgers in top four, announces commitment date

Wisconsin 2026 iOL target includes Badgers in top four, announces commitment date

Wisconsin top class of 2026 target Ben Nichols will announce his collegiate commitment on Dec. 24, per his latest post on X.

On Nov. 11, Nichols listed Wisconsin, Tennessee, Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Kentucky and Iowa as his final nine landing spots.

On Dec. 6, the four-star recruit whittled the list down to just Wisconsin, Tennessee, Notre Dame and Penn State, per 247Sports national recruiting analyst Allen Trieu.

The outlet’s composite ranking considers Nichols the No. 244 overall recruit in the class of 2025, No. 16 interior offensive lineman and No. 3 prospect from his home state of Michigan for the class of 2026.

While Wisconsin’s inclusion in Nichols’ final four landing spots is substantial, recruiting outlets project the Michigan native to land with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. On3’s recruiting prediction machine lists the college football juggernaut as his most likely landing spot at 82%, and Rivals’ Penn State analyst Richard O’Leary recently released a FutureCast projecting the Fighting Irish to secure his commitment.

UW’s current iOL room took a hit on Thursday with the loss of James Durand to the transfer portal. Both Joe Huber and Jake Renfro competed as redshirt seniors, so Wisconsin is certainly in need of some depth at the position.

Yes, Nichols is a 2026 recruit, but his talent is unquestionable. As a junior in high school, his 6-foot-5, 315-pound frame makes him one of the more alluring 2026 talents in the nation.

Notre Dame makes the top group for 2026 4-star offensive lineman

The Irish are still in the hunt for one of the Midwests best offensive lineman

With the early signing period rapidly approaching, many teams like Notre Dame football are already looking to the 2026 class options.

One of those for the Irish is Michigan offensive lineman [autotag]Ben Nichols[/autotag], who trimmed his list down to nine schools recently. The 6-foot, 5-inch and 315-pounders remaining teams are a who’s who of college football which includes Alabama, Ohio State, Tennessee, Penn State, the Irish, and others.

It will be a highly competitive recruiting battle between his final nine, as the nation’s No. 234 overall recruit according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings has a difficult decision ahead of him.

Nichols hasn’t taken many visits this fall, but one of them was to South Bend, even though he was on hand for the loss to Northern Illinois. Hopefully the play of the Notre Dame offensive line has gotten his attention, as they were named as a Joe Moore Award semifinalist on Tuesday morning.

Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph, second from right, talks to offensive lineman Aamil Wagner (59) during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in South Bend.

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2026 offensive lineman includes Tennessee in top nine schools

2026 offensive lineman from Michigan includes Tennessee in top nine schools.

2026 interior offensive lineman prospect Ben Nichols announced his top nine schools.

Nichol’s top 10 schools are Tennessee, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Iowa, Notre Dame and Alabama.

The 6-foot-5, 315-pound four-star interior offensive lineman prospect is from Davison High School in Davison, Michigan.

He ranks No. 234 nationally in the 247Sports Composite for the class of 2026. Nichols also ranks as the No. 15 interior offensive lineman and No. 3 prospect in Michigan.

The Vols offered him a scholarship on May 7.

Tennessee has six commitments in its 2026 recruiting class: Quarterback Faizon Brandon, tight end Carson Sneed, offensive lineman Brandon Anderson, defensive lineman Tyson Bacon, wide receiver Tyreek King and linebacker Braylon Outlaw.

Wisconsin football class of 2026 iOL target includes Badgers in list of finalists

Wisconsin football class of 2026 iOL target includes Badgers in list of finalists

Wisconsin top class of 2026 target Ben Nichols included the Badgers in his list of final schools on Monday.

Nichols, who received his offer from the Badgers on May 15, included Wisconsin along with Tennessee, Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Kentucky and Iowa.

At the time of his offer, On3’s industry ranking considered Nichols the No. 19 interior offensive lineman in the class of 2026, No. 4 recruit from Michigan and No. 238 overall recruit in the class. The outlet has elevated Nichols to the No. 16 iOL, No. 3 recruit from Michigan and No. 199 overall recruit in his class.

While Nichols does not hold a 247Sports crystal ball prediction at this stage of his recruitment, On3’s recruiting prediction machine lists the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as his most likely landing spot at over 84%. Michigan, Ohio State and Eastern Michigan all hold less than a 7% chance to secure a commitment.

Nichols is considered a four-star recruit from virtually every recruiting outlet. At 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, Nichols has the frame to become a devastating force on any offensive line when he makes the jump to the collegiate level.

Currently, UW’s iOL room consists of Joe Huber, Jake Renfro and James Durand.

4-star in-state OL includes Spartans in top 9 schools list

Michigan State football is one of nine schools still in the running for a big-time in-state prospect in the 2026 class

Michigan State football is one of nine schools still in the running for a big-time in-state prospect in the 2026 class.

Ben Nichols of Davison, Mich. released his top nine schools list on Monday, and it included the Spartans. Michigan State was joined by Alabama, Ohio State, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Penn State, Wisconsin, Kentucky and Iowa.

Nichols is a four-star interior offensive lineman, according to 247Sports. He ranks as the No. 15 interior offensive lineman and No. 234 overall prospect in 247Sports’ composite rankings for the class. He’s also listed as the No. 3 player from Michigan in the class.

Nichols holds offers from nearly 20 programs, according to 247Sports. Michigan State extended him an offer in June of 2023.

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2026 Notre Dame interior offensive lineman target to visit campus

Hope the Irish can impress him enough.

Notre Dame has been a hotbed for offensive line talent in recent years. While there are concerns about that unit in 2024, the future always seems bright these days. Hopefully for the Irish, that future will include 2026 recruit Ben Nichols.

Nichols, Michigan’s No. 3 recruit in the 2026 class according to 247Sports, has received offers from 19 Football Bowl Subdivision programs. The Irish made their offer on St. Patrick’s Day this year. Now, he’ll be making a visit to campus when the Irish open their home schedule against Northern Illinois.

Nichols took to social media and expressed excitement about his upcoming trip to South Bend:

The Irish have some stiff competition to try and win Nichols’ services. Alabama made the most recent offer in late August. Others aiming for him include Purdue, Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa, Penn State, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Illinois.

Good luck to the Irish in landing Nichols. They just might need it.

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Wisconsin football offers four-star class of 2026 iOL

Wisconsin football offers four-star class of 2026 iOL

Wisconsin football extended an offer to four-star class of 2026 iOL Will Conroy on Friday.

Conroy joins Ben Nichols, another four-star class of 2026 iOL, to receive offers from the Badgers this week.

Both 247Sports’ composite ranking and On3’s industry ranking have Conroy as a four-star recruit. The Cleveland, Ohio native already holds offers from 22 schools including Oregon, Miami (Florida), Florida, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin

On3’s industry ranking has Conroy as the No. 20 interior offensive lineman in the class of 2026, No. 12 recruit from Ohio and No. 254 overall player in the class. He currently stands at 6’3,” 275 pounds, representing St. Ignatius High School in Ohio.

His first gridiron offer arrived from Oregon in September 2023. Alongside Missouri, Wisconsin became the latest program to offer Conroy in May 2024.

247sports’ crystal ball prediction and On3’s recruiting prediction machine both have Ohio State as Conroy’s most likely landing spot.

Currently, UW’s iOL room consists of Joe Huber, Jake Renfro and James Durand,.

Wisconsin football offers four-star class of 2026 IOL

Wisconsin football offers four-star class of 2026 IOL

Wisconsin football extended an offer to four-star class of 2026 iOL Ben Nichols on Wednesday.

Both 247sports’ composite ranking and On3’s industry ranking have Nichols as a four-star recruit. The Davison, Michigan native already holds offers from 13 schools including Michigan State, Florida State, Purdue, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Penn State, Illinois and Tennessee.

On3’s industry ranking has Nichols as the No. 19 interior offensive lineman in the class of 2026, No. 4 recruit from Michigan and No. 238 overall recruit in the class. He currently stands at 6’5,’’ 315 pounds and represents Davison High School.

His first gridiron offer arrived from Central Michigan in January 2023. From February through May 2024, Nichols has received the bulk of his offers.

On3’s recruiting prediction machine has Michigan State as Nichols’ most likely landing spot. 247Sports has yet to release a crystal ball prediction, but in-state programs Michigan State, Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan were the first to offer Nicholas in 2023.

Currently, UW’s iOL room consists of Joe Huber, Jake Renfro and James Durand, per 247sports.