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Wisconsin Badgers 2026 EDGE commit flirting with Ole Miss on official visit

Carmelow Reed committed to the Badgers in early April, but ahead of his official visit with Ole Miss, he gave a concerning quote about his recruitment still being open.
Lorin Cox|
Wisconsin outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell, left, talks with head coach Luke Fickell during practice April 11 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison
Wisconsin outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell, left, talks with head coach Luke Fickell during practice April 11 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison | Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

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The Wisconsin Badgers have one edge rusher committed in their 2026 recruiting class.

But he might not be as committed as the verbal agreement might suggest.

Three-star edge rusher Carmelow Reed from Illinois announced his commitment to Wisconsin in early April.

It's not uncommon for a committed player to still take official visits at other schools, but his trip to Ole Miss this weekend could have a little more behind it.

According to Greg Smith from Rivals, Reed was swayed by the Mississippi coaching staff to keep an open mind.

"[Defensive line] coach [Randall] Joyner came and saw me workout and made an impression on me," Reed told Rivals. "So I didn’t want to sell myself short on recruitment and just seeing what else is out there.”

The Rebels were one of the top teams that had offered him a scholarship, along with the likes of LSU and Missouri.

Reed is scheduled to make his official visit to Wisconsin on the weekend of June 6, and it will be up to outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell and Luke Fickell to make sure they sell him on the Badgers and cement his commitment to the program.

If not, their 2026 recruiting class could take a step in the wrong direction.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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