The Wisconsin Badgers picked up a commitment from three-star safety James “Trey” Roberson on Tuesday, marking their 22nd commit in the 2027 class. Roberson is also the third safety that Wisconsin has landed in the cycle, wrapping up quite the class for safeties coach Jack Cooper.
The Badgers have looked for multiple safety classes in past years, but this one is the deepest under head coach Luke Fickell, with Wisconsin targeting three commits at the position for quite some time.
What was it about Roberson
and fellow commits DJ Davis and Dustin Roach that made them all fits for Wisconsin in the 2027 class?
When you look at Wisconsin’s safety outlook, here’s what the room looks like in 2026:
Matt Jung (redshirt senior)
Marvin Burks (senior)
Matthew Traynor (redshirt junior)
Raphael Dunn (redshirt sophomore)
Carson Van Dinter (redshirt sophomore)
Grant Dean (sophomore)
Luke Emmerich (redshirt freshman)
Kah’ni Watts (freshman)
Wisconsin has looked to load up with two safeties in most of its classes under Luke Fickell. And that makes sense, given the versatility the position has in the defense. We’ve seen safeties line up in the box (Hunter Wohler, Matt Jung, etc.), line up in the nickel (Austin Brown, etc.), and as field and boundary safeties.
The Badgers will lose Matt Jung and Marvin Burks next year, and you never know how the transfer portal will play out. After taking only one safety in the 2026 class, Wisconsin triple-dipped for three safeties in the 2027 class.
Now, looking at the players, Dustin Roach feels like the field safety in this class. He’s got the length at 6’3, 185, and feels like that rangy safety that can roam around the field as a playmaker. He likes to tackle and has great ball skills as a receiver, so he was a solid early get for the Badgers in the cycle.
Then, there’s DJ Davis, who is also a talented receiver and feels like your coverage guy, with the possibility of some reps as a nickel. He’s also got good size and length at 6’2, 180 pounds, and his speed stands out as well in coverage.
Roberson feels like the final piece of the puzzle as that backend boundary safety at 6’0, 200 pounds. The other two feel more suited for man coverage and lining up on a body, while Roberson can use his instincts to be a player on the boundary. He’s also got solid size, which should help him near the line of scrimmage.
But Wisconsin seems to have some very solid fits at safety in this class, which now wraps up with the commitment of Roberson.
