Wisconsin football secured arguably its most notable recruiting victory in the class of 2026 on Saturday evening.
Amari Latimer, who received dozens of offers from across the country, offered his pledge to Luke Fickell’s program. He elected to join the Badgers over opportunities with the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Oregon Ducks, the Georgia Bulldogs, the Penn State Nittany Lions, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Michigan Wolverines, among others.
Latimer’s commitment is Wisconsin’s 15th in the class and its first from a running back. Most notably, his decision elevated UW’s recruiting ranking to No. 37 in the nation, up 10 spots from its No. 47 position before his announcement.
Wisconsin’s 2026 class also ranks No. 13 in the Big Ten behind the Indiana Hoosiers (No. 12) and Oregon Ducks (No. 11). With 30 commitments, including 19 four-star recruits, the USC Trojans hold the No. 1 position in the conference by a significant margin.
While the 2026 window is far from over, the Badgers are still in search of a return to the top 25 for the third straight year under Fickell. Before his first full class in 2024, UW finished with No. 40 and No. 41 in 2022 and 2023, respectively. There’s no denying the significance of Fickell’s impact on recruiting, and Latimer’s decision is somewhat a reflection of the prowess.
Nonetheless, UW is still in search of several playmakers. Four-star edge Jackson Ford’s commitment to Penn State on Friday, Ben Duncum’s pledge to the Kentucky Wildcats on Wednesday and defensive lineman Kobe Cherry’s commitment to Purdue on Monday signify UW’s need for a top-tier edge rusher, arguably the top priority for Fickell and his staff.
Still, Wisconsin’s most recent pair of commitments is the real deal. Four-star wide receiver Jayden Petit made his future in Madison official on…
Source link : https://badgerswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/badgers/recruiting/2025/06/29/wisconsin-football-2026-recruiting-class-ranking-update-amari-latimer/84404426007/
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Publish date : 2025-06-29 12:55:00
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