Badgers Lose out on High-Priority Edge Recruit to Big Ten Rival

Wisconsin football has dropped four straight games to Iowa. In the last two games, it's lost by a combined score of 79-10.

Hawkeyes' head coach Kirk Ferentz continues to get the better of the Badgers on and off the field, as one of Wisconsin's key defensive line targets, Illinois native Tommy Riordan, verbally committed to Iowa on Tuesday. He chose the Hawkeyes over offers from Wisconsin, Illinois, Kansas State and Minnesota, among others.

🚨BREAKING🚨 4-star DL Tommy Riordan has committed to Iowa🐤

Read: https://t.co/XiZ7a2UaIK pic.twitter.com/TBc2ZizzKr
— Rivals (@Rivals) April 7, 2026

On3/Rivals has Riordan as a four-star prospect and the No. 13 player in Illinois. 247Sports, meanwhile, has him as a three-star and the 28th-best player in his state.

Riordan is listed as a defensive lineman, but Wisconsin and outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell were recruiting him as an edge.

Iowa was considered to be in the lead for the Chicagoland defender, but the Badgers had managed to get him on campus for a junior day in January, and had an official visit lined up for the weekend of May 28-31, Wisconsin's first big official visit weekend of the summer when plenty of top recruits and commits alike are set to descend on Madison.

Mitchell has some breathing room in the class of 2027, as he's already secured a commitment from in-state edge defender Isaac Miller. That gives the Badgers some flexibility at the position moving forward and certainly dampens the blow of Riordan committing to the rival Hawkeyes.

Still, Wisconsin is looking at five scholarship seniors departing at outside linebacker after the 2026 season, and it only signed one edge player (Yahya Gaad) in the 2026 recruiting cycle. The Badgers could easily take as many as three outside linebackers in 2027, meaning Mitchell's work at the position is far from over.

Who could Mitchell pivot to next? His best shot might be with Jeron Allen II, a three-star prospect out of Cedar Hill, Texas. Allen, who has a great frame at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, has an official visit lined up to Madison for the weekend of June 4-7. Kansas, Kansas State and Mississippi State, who also have official visits lined up, are the other major players in his recruitment.

Wisconsin🔴🦡
Let’s Go!! June 4-7#AGTG @Coach_Mitch_ @BadgerFootball @Evan_Flood @Wi_Recruiting @SolomonMaysDFW @McNamara_247 @247Sports @TheUCReport pic.twitter.com/ZGOx2uxiVY
— Jeron Allen II (@JeronAllen24) March 6, 2026