The Wisconsin Badgers didn’t have the biggest 2026 recruiting class, signing only 13 players on National Signing Day without landing a blue-chip recruit.
They did have two blue-chippers in the class at
one point: four-star wide receiver Jayden Petit and four-star running back Amari Latimer.
Petit ultimately de-committed a week before signing day and signed with the Oklahoma Sooners, while Latimer was a National Signing Day flip to the West Virginia Mountaineers in a huge surprise.
Latimer had been Wisconsin’s No. 1 target for over a year in the 2026 class, and the Badgers got a commitment from the running back during official visits in the summer. However, there was constant interest in the Fall and Latimer took several visits to big programs, but Wisconsin remained firm in its interest and thought they were in a good spot heading into National Signing Day.
Well, in an announcement, Latimer flipped to West Virginia, joining a huge class for head coach Rich Rodriguez. And now, he’s not the only Badger headed there.
Latimer’s brother, Wisconsin cornerback Geimere Latimer, entered the transfer portal and committed to West Virginia earlier this week in a widely expected move. The elder Latimer had played for Rodriguez at Jacksonville State, where he was a starter before transferring to Wisconsin last offseason. Now, he’s reunited with both his brother and his former head coach at West Virginia.
The opportunity for the elder Latimer is there, as he likely slides back to the boundary as an outside cornerback, which he played at Jacksonville State prior to transferring to Wisconsin. He fared much better in that role in 2024 as opposed to his inconsistent play in 2025, both as a run defender, but especially in coverage. He should start at West Virginia next year.
