Tag: Benjamin Novak

BREAKING: Wisconsin lands commitment from class of 2026 iOL Benjamin Novak

Wisconsin lands its second commitment in the class of 2026

Wisconsin landed a commitment from three-star class of 2026 interior offensive lineman Benjamin Novak on Monday.

Novak chose the Badgers over other notable offers including Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville and Toledo. He is the second member of the Badgers’ class of 2026, joining three-star quarterback Jarin Mock.

The three-star offensive lineman is currently ranked by 247Sports as the No. 48 interior offensive lineman in the class of 2026 and No. 11 recruit from his home state of Indiana. The Badgers edging the in-state Hoosiers is noteworthy, especially given the pedigree of former Wisconsin and current Indiana OL coach Bob Bostad.

His commitment begins the Badgers’ momentum in the class of 2026. It won’t be until the calendar flips that a bow is fully tied on the program’s 2025 group. Until then, the class of 2026 news is unlikely to hit a true stride.

Novak’s commitment moves Wisconsin’s class of 2026 up to No. 45 in the nation at this early stage in the cycle. That standing does not figure to be close to where the Badgers will finish the class. Luke Fickell’s first two full classes with the program ranked No. 25 and No. 28, respectively.

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Wisconsin receives crystal ball to land class of 2026 interior offensive lineman

Wisconsin receives crystal ball to land class of 2026 interior offensive lineman

Wisconsin football received two crystal ball predictions to land class of 2026 interior offensive lineman Benjamin Novak on Friday.

The predictions come from 247Sports Wisconsin insiders Evan Flood and Nick Osen. For context, Osen boasts a 98.63% accuracy rate for 2025 predictions while Flood holds a 71.44% clip for this calendar year’s cohort.

At 6-foot-6, 320 pounds, Novak represents Andrean High School in Merrillville, Indiana. 247Sports ranks the junior as the nation’s No. 48 iOL and No. 11 recruit from Indiana for 2026.

Novak currently holds 10 offers at this stage in the process, Outside of UW, the list includes Bowling Green, Ball State, Toledo, Louisville, Indiana, Akron, Marshall, Kentucky and Western Michigan.

While 247Sports’ forecasts project Novak to land in Madison, On3’s recruiting prediction machine says otherwise. The outlet predicts Novak will commit to Ball State with over a 30.8% likelihood.

Wisconsin has offered nine other interior offensive linemen for its class of 2026, including top 100 recruit Leo Delaney. Its class of 2025 is currently ranked No. 18 in the nation with 22 overall commitments, per Rivals.

Wisconsin football extends offer to class of 2026 iOL

Wisconsin football extends offer to class of 2026 iOL

The Wisconsin Badgers extended an offer to class of 2026 interior offensive lineman Benjamin Novak on Wednesday.

Novak became the fourth 2026 prospect to earn an offer from UW today, joining running back Izaiah Wright, tight end Gavin Mueller and wide receiver Dveyoun Bonwell-Witte. Beginning last week, Wisconsin has clearly accelerated its 2026 recruiting efforts after experiencing significant success in the class of 2025 cycle.

The 6-foot-6, 320-pound interior offensive lineman represents Andrean High School in Merrillville, Indiana. 247Sports ranks the rising junior as the nation’s No. 37 iOL and No. 7 recruit from Indiana for 2026.

Anderson also holds offers from Akron, Louisville, Ball State, Bowling Green, Indiana, Marshall, Toledo, Western Michigan and Wisconsin thus far.

In addition to Anderson, the Badgers have offered nine interior offensive lineman so far with main focus on four-star Tyler Merrill.

The Badgers acquired commitments from 20 class of 2025 players thus far, enough to vault them into Rivals’ No. 4 spot in its national rankings. The program’s recent addition of defensive lineman Wilnerson Telemaque is Wisconsin’s ninth commitment since the start of June. Four-star OT Logan Powell, four-star LB Mason Posa and four-star WR Eugene Hilton Jr. lead that group.
The Badgers are still in the running for an interior offensive lineman in the 2025 cycle but figure to secure a commitment later this summer.