Despite their on-field results, the Wisconsin Badgers have kept up as one of the top recruiting teams in the nation. After their 2026 class included less than 15 commitments, the Badgers have landed 23 commits in their 2027 class, which currently ranks as a top-25 group in the nation, according to 247Sports.
In that class, the Badgers landed several of the top players in a loaded in-state class. They also flipped prize four-star Florida defensive back Mekhi Williams from Florida State, while winning
some key recruiting battles in the summer.
One pipeline that Wisconsin has slowly started to make is an Arizona-to-Wisconsin connection, specifically with Desert Edge High School. The Badgers landed three commitments from the state of Arizona in the 2027 class, including two from Desert Edge: highly-coveted three-star defensive lineman Yahzeen Zion and linebacker Nathan Jones.
That follows after the Badgers landed linebacker Jon Jon Kamara in the transfer portal. Kamara, a junior, also played for Desert Edge in high school. Well, the connection seems to only be growing, as the Badgers are now trending for one of the top prospects in the country: five-star edge rusher Jalanie George, who currently plays at Desert Edge.
Considered the No. 15 player in the class by ESPN, the No. 23 player by the Rivals Composite, and the No. 27 player on the 247Sports Composite, George has been courted by nearly every top school in the country. He holds 36 offers, and had previously set a top six back in May.
However, the Badgers were not a part of that top five. Instead, that included Auburn, Ohio State, Washington, Miami, Oklahoma, and Florida. A lot has changed since then, but Washington had been the perceived favorites to land George over the last few months.
However, things have changed recently, as On3’s Brandon Huffman and Steve Wiltfong have moved their crystal ball predictions from Washington to Wisconsin. George is set to commit on October 1st.
The Badgers had the talented edge rusher up for a visit during Week 2. He would be the third addition to their 2028 class, joining linebacker Cale Britt and offensive lineman Brock Barrows.
