Wisconsin class of 2026 safety target includes Badgers in top 10

Wisconsin top class of 2026 safety target includes Badgers in top 10

Wisconsin top class of 2026 safety target Nick Reddish included the Badgers in his list of final schools on Thursday.

Reddish becomes the latest 2026 prospect to include the Badgers as a finalist over the past month. Top-ranked offensive talents such as four-star running back Shahn Alston, top 100 offensive lineman Leo Delaney, three-star linebacker Storm Miller, four-star iOL Ben Nichols and top-ranked wide receiver Naeem Burroughs headline that list.

Reddish, who received his offer from Wisconsin on May 14, now includes it in his top 10 along with Duke, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, USC, Vanderbilt, Missouri and Indiana.

247Sports considers the 5-foot-11, 185-pound safety the No. 450 overall recruit in the class of 2026, the No. 38 safety and the No. 22 prospect from his home state of North Carolina. On3, 247Sports and Rivals all consider him a three-star recruit.

While Wisconsin’s presence in Reddish’s final list is encouraging, his commitment is nowhere near imminent. The sheer number of schools in his latest announcement indicates Reddish may narrow the list down even further as the cycle progresses.

As of Dec. 19, On3’s recruiting prediction machine lists Wake Forest as his most likely landing spot at 25%, which is odd considering their omission from his top 10. Virginia Tech and Notre Dame are next, each around the 20% likelihood mark.

Wisconsin’s class of 2026 still holds just two names — offensive lineman Benjamin Novak and quarterback Jarin Mock.

UNC basketball watching Class of 2026’s top shooting guard at Holiday Tournament

Can UNC lock in its first Class of 2026 basketball commitment this weekend?

While the North Carolina Tar Heels try and break out of their rut this college basketball season, they’re also trying to recruit for the future.

It’s nearly Christmas, making it the perfect time to watch prospects, as cities across the nation hold Holiday Tournament.

Some of the UNC coaching staff is getting a piece of the recruiting pie this December, currently spending time at the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla.

There’s one particular star North Carolina has its eye on: Caleb Holt, the Class of 2026’s third-ranked player, Georgia’s top-ranked player and the nation’s top-ranked shooting guard.

The Tar Heels are in hot pursuit to land a commitment from Holt, whom they offered back in July. Holt is one of six players with a 2026 offer from UNC, which also extended offers to 5-star power forwards Tyran Stokes and Miikka Muurinin, 5-star small forwards Cameron Holmes and Cole Cloer, plus a fellow 5-star shooting guard in Jordan Smith.

If North Carolina wants to land a commitment from Holt, it’ll have to beat out 19 other schools looking at him, including two elite SEC programs in Auburn and Kentucky.

Holt, who now plays his high school basketball for Grayson High in Loganville, Ga. originally hails from Alabama. Holt’s first season at his new school is off to a solid start, as he has the Rams off to a 9-0 start.

Being able to land Holt would re-assure every UNC fan of Hubert Davis’ recruiting abilities. Despite landing 5-stars Drake Powell and Ian Jackson in the 2024 class, North Carolina is falling behind in the Class of 2025, with just two commitments from Isaiah Denis and Derek Dixon. 

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UNC basketball to visit 5-star Class of 2026 target after AJ Dybantsa miss

Can UNC land its first Class of 2026 basketball commitment on Wednesday?

The North Carolina Tar Heels failed to land a commitment from AJ Dybantsa, the Class of 2025’s top-ranked player, but that isn’t stopping them from continuing along the recruiting trail.

UNC’s next focus now appears to be on the 2026 recruiting class, with an upcoming visit for one of the class’ top players.

On Tuesday, Dec. 10, North Carolina announced that it will pay 5-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr. a visit.

Rippey, a junior who plays his high school basketball at Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey, is the Class of 2026’s 21st-ranked player. Rippey is also the country’s fifth-ranked point guard, plus the top-ranked player in New Jersey.

UNC won’t be the only program in attendance Wednesday, as ACC rival Syracuse announced its plan to visit Rippey.

If the Tar Heels offer Rippey after their visit, he’ll be their seventh. North Carolina has already offered six other 5-star recruits: power forward Tyran Stokes, small forwards Cameron Holmes, Caleb Holt and in-state talent Cole Cloer, shooting guard Jordan Smith and power forward Miikka Muurinen.

UNC showed its ability to land top-end talent in its 2024 recruiting class, with 5-star McDonalds All-Americans Drake Powell and Ian Jackson choosing to play their college ball in Chapel Hill. High school standouts still want to become Tar Heels, but in today’s NIL era, money is seemingly more important to them.

When Hubert Davis is up in New Jersey visiting Rippey, he needs to find a way to convince Rippey that North Carolina is still a highly-sought-after college basketball destination.

UNC has the championships, NCAA Tournament appearances and tradition that some of these other programs – in this case, BYU – doesn’t have. Other programs might be able to offer high schoolers more money, only for those players to transfer or turn pro after one year.

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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.

Class of 2026 WR Jerquaden Guilford commits to Penn State

Penn State adds another offensive player to its early Class of 2026 recruiting haul.

The Class of 2025 has largely just been introduced formally by Penn State, but the next recruiting cycle is already in full swing. Penn State capped off the week of preparing for the Big Ten championship by learning it has won a commitment from Class of 2026 wide receiver [autotag]Jerquaden Guilford[/autotag], from Indiana.

Guilford is a three-star recruit according to On3, 247Sports, and Rivals and is considered one of the top-three players overall from the state of Indiana. Guilford is a 6′-2″ 180-pound receiver who has assembled a nice collection of offers to consider. Penn State extended its offer to Guilford in late July during an unofficial visit to the campus. He also received offers from Ohio State, Miami, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Georgia, and Indiana, among others.

According to various recruiting coverage, it seems Guilford was a player wide receivers coach Marques Hagans had really taken to during the recruiting process. It does seem as though there will be some work to mold Guilford into a major contributor in the Penn State offense but he brings some good skill and talent to work with to the table and should bring some good speed to the field as well.

Of course, we are a long way from Guilford officially signing with Penn State, so he could still continue to grow and develop as a high school senior before joining the Penn State football family a year from now.

Guilford is the eighth member of Penn State’s current Class of 2026 lineup. He is the third wide receiver in the early recruiting class, joining Maryland receiver Lavar Keys and Delaware receiver Jahsiear Rogers. The class has had a big focus on offensive commitments with four-star quarterback Troy Huhn, four-star running back Messiah Mickens, and four-star offensive tackle Kevin Brown.

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Wisconsin football offers top class of 2026 offensive tackle

Wisconsin football offers top class of 2026 offensive tackle

The Wisconsin Badgers extended an offer to top 150 class of 2026 prospect Carter Scruggs on Wednesday.

The college football recruiting cycle is truly nonstop. On Wisconsin’s early signing day for its class of 2025, the recruiting staff added yet another four-star recruit to its class of 2026 offer sheet.

Since the beginning of November, that impressive list of offers includes Scruggs, four-star cornerback Khary Adams, four-star running back Jonathan Hatton Jr., four-star running back Amari Clemons and four-star quarterback Peyton Falzone.

At 6-foot-6, 270 pounds, Scruggs is considered the No. 122 player in the nation, No. 11 iOL and No. 3 player from Virginia for the class of 2026.

His offer sheet is absolutely loaded. The 2026 talent has received offers from programs such as Oregon, Penn State, Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, Indiana, Michigan, South Carolina and USC.

Scruggs appears to be zeroed in on Penn State at this stage of his recruiting process. On3’s recruiting prediction machine has the Nittany Lions as a heavy favorite to land the four-star at over 86%, and three Rivals insiders have released forecasts projecting Scruggs to land in State College, PA.

Still, Wisconsin isn’t out of the race. The Badgers’ history with prioritizing the position provides them with some extra credibility, and their alumni speak for themselves.

As of Dec. 4, UW’s class of 2026 features two commitments — three-star iOL Benjamin Novak and three-star quarterback Jarin Mock.

Wisconsin top class of 2026 WR target includes Badgers in final list

Wisconsin top class of 2026 WR target includes Badgers in final list

Wisconsin top class of 2026 wide receiver target Naeem Burroughs included the Badgers in his list of final schools on Thursday.

Burroughs is yet another top class of 2026 recruit to include Wisconsin as a finalist dating back to late October. Top-ranked offensive players, including four-star interior offensive lineman Leo Delaney, four-star running back Shahn Alston, and four-star iOL Ben Nichols, accompany Burroughs on that list.

Burroughs, who included the Badgers in his final 11 in July 2024, now includes them in his top six along with Clemson, Notre Dame, Florida State, Texas and Florida.

If the last name sounds familiar to Badger fans, that’s because Naeem is the younger brother of current Wisconsin wide receiver Quincy Burroughs. Naeem is a much more talented high school recruit than his older brother.

The 5-foot-11, 160-pound wide receiver is 247Sports’ No. 59 player in the class of 2026, No. 10 WR and No. 8 player from his home state of Florida. Rivals, meanwhile, has Burroughs as the No. 44 overall prospect.

On3, 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN all consider him a four-star recruit

Burroughs has yet to receive any truly convincing forecasts for his collegiate landing spot. On3’s recruiting prediction machine considers the in-state Florida Gators a slight favorite, but it’s too early to tell.

As a junior with the Bolles School in Florida, Burroughs has reeled in 33 catches for 829 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns, including a three-game stretch with 448 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns.

The familial connection to his older brother could certainly play a factor in what Burroughs decides to do down the line. UW’s current class of 2026 still features two commitments — three-star iOL Benjamin Novak and three-star quarterback Jarin Mock.

Wisconsin top-ranked class of 2026 LB target includes Badgers in final list

Wisconsin top-ranked class of 2026 LB target includes Badgers in final list

Wisconsin top class of 2026 target Storm Miller included the Badgers in his list of final schools on Saturday.

The Badgers’ recruiting staff has experienced several minor victories over the past month.

Miller now joins a lengthy list of coveted 2026 targets to include the Badgers in their list of finalists dating back to Oct. 29, a list that also includes four-star interior offensive lineman Leo Delaney, four-star running back Shahn Alston, four-star linebacker Tristan Phillips, four-star and iOL Ben Nichols and three-star interior lineman Bear McWhorter.

Miller, who received his offer from the Badgers back in November 2023, included Wisconsin as a finalist, along with Clemson, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Michigan State, and Stanford. As of Dec. 1, Miller has received 24 offers in total, including from Indiana, Louisville, Kentucky, Notre Dame, Florida State, Texas A&M and Penn State.

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound linebacker is 247Sports’ No. 271 player in the class of 2026, No. 23 LB and No. 13 player from his home state of Ohio. On3, 247Sports and Rivals all consider Miller a four-star recruit.

Like many of his contemporaries, Miller’s commitment is nowhere near final. 247Sports has yet to release a crystal ball prediction, and On3’s recruiting prediction machine does not indicate a clear favorite.

Hometown destination Ohio State holds the highest likelihood to land the junior linebacker. UW’s current class of 2026 still features two commitments — three-star iOL Benjamin Novak and three-star quarterback Jarin Mock.

Wisconsin football top class of 2026 quarterback target decommits from Virginia Tech

Wisconsin football top class of 2026 QB target decommits from Virginia Tech

Wisconsin top class of 2026 quarterback target Peyton Falzone decommitted from Virginia Tech on Wednesday.

The news arrives 10 days after Wisconsin extended an offer to the talented four-star recruit. Falzone initially pledged his commitment to the Hokies in June of 2024, but recent offers and unofficial visits appear to have altered his decision.

Falzone unofficially visited Madison for Wisconsin’s marquee matchup against No. 1 Oregon on Nov. 17. A week later, the Pennsylvania native made the trek to Columbus to witness No. 2 Ohio State vanquish the Indiana Hoosiers at The Shoe.

The highly touted recruit also made his way to Iowa City for an official visit with the Hawkeyes on Nov. 29. At this stage, it appears as if Falzone’s recruiting window is as open as ever.

Another plus for the Badgers — seven programs are listed on Falzone’s offer sheet. That list includes Virginia Tech, Penn State, Syracuse, Kent State, Lehigh and Bucknell, per 247Sports. That could change in the coming weeks, but UW has cemented itself as a top contender as of Nov. 30.

247Sports considers the junior the No. 194 overall prospect, No. 15 quarterback and No. 5 recruit from his home state of Pennsylvania for the class of 2026. On3, ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports consider Falzone a four-star recruit.

On3’s recruiting prediction machine considers Penn State his most likely landing spot, but his decision is nowhere near final. With only one quarterback committed to Wisconsin’s class of 2026, three-star Jarin Mock, Falzone would enter UW’s quarterback room as the top option in the 2026 cohort.

Penn State makes top schools list of elite 2026 cornerback

Penn State is among the early top schools for this four-star Class of 2026 cornerback from North Carolina.

Penn State has gotten off to a hot start in the 2026 cycle as they look to continue bringing in top classes to Happy Valley so they can better compete for Big Ten titles and national championships.

Already sitting with seven commits so far, that puts them fifth in the national rankings that has them on pace for one of their best-ever finishes under [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] if they can keep it up.

One way they can do that is by going after some of the best prospects in the country, and with their sights set on elite four-star cornerback [autotag]Samari Matthews[/autotag], it seems like the interest is reciprocated.

The North Carolina native recently trimmed his list of schools down to eight, and the Nittany Lions made the cut alongside Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Clemson, Florida State, South Carolina and North Carolina.

Ranked No. 51 in the 2026 class and the fourth-best player at his position by On3’s Industry Rankings, Matthews would be a huge get for Penn State.

He told Chad Simmons of On3 that all eight programs on his list have been in constant communication with him, and when he visited each of their campuses, he has enjoyed the atmospheres and “home feeling.” The next steps for him are to continue taking visits to those schools before going on official trips and then announcing his commitment in the upcoming summer (subscription required).

Penn State could be a longshot in this race.

Out of the eight schools on his list, they have been given the seventh-worst odds to land him per On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine at 4.4%. South Carolina is the favorite at 26.2%.

Still, there is plenty of time left for them to build relationships and get him onto campus based on that timeline.

He was not able to see a game at Beaver Stadium this season, so it will be up to Franklin and the coaching staff to get him back on campus and make him feel at home.