Wisconsin football's in-state recruiting success receives early national praise

MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin football team's 2027 recruiting class continues to be filled entirely of homegrown talent. The high level of projected talent they possess has the Badgers rubbing elbows with some of the top power-conference programs in the country.

Following the commitment of Sussex Hamilton offensive linemen Hunter and Reece Mallinger on Thursday, making all seven of the Badgers' known 2027 verbal commitments in-state prospects, Wisconsin's recruiting class ranks No.14 in 247sports college football composite rankings.

Holding three four-star prospects and four three-star recruits, the Badgers sit fifth in the Big Ten in the early rankings.

#Badgers football didn't add an in-state scholarship player until June last year.

The commitments of Reece and Hunter Mallinger today give Wisconsin seven highly-regarded in-state prospects.

UW's entire 2027 class so far is made up of Wisconsin kids.

That's pretty damn cool.
— Benjamin Worgull (@TheBadgerNation) April 1, 2026

There promises to be a lot of movement over the eight-plus months before Wisconsin can officially sign any high school prospects, but the Badgers needed some high school recruiting momentum after multiple recruiting disappointments last season.

With questions around Luke Fickell's job security following a 4-8 season, the worst for the program since the early 1990s, the Badgers saw seven players decommit between mid-October and early December.

UW signed five high school prospects during that stretch to help soften the blow, but held back some roster spots for the upcoming transfer portal. The result was a 13-person class that ranked 68th in the country by 247sports, the worst for the program since at least 2000.

The Badgers didn't sign their one and only in-state prospect (Appleton North linebacker Ben Wenzel) until June, a lack of in-state presence that Fickell received criticism for from in-state high school coaches.

That's not the case this season with an in-state recruiting class that could be the best ever evaluated.
New offensive line coach Eric Mateos has rebuilt his position group with the Mallingers, three-star Ethan McIntosh (Verona), and four-star Cole Reiter (Germantown). Reiter is rated the nation's No.155 overall prospect and chose to stay home over offers from Auburn, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, and several others.

UW has also returned to the pipeline of Waukesha Catholic Memorial for two defensive players in edge Isaac Miller and safety Dustin Roach, and went to the village of Iola for tight end Korz Loken. When he signs, Loken will rank as the 28th-best recruit the Badgers have signed since 2000 (15th from the state).

The Badgers currently have seven of the state's top-10 ranked players, with the state's top-ranked player, Green Bay Notre Dame Academy running back Kingston Allen, favored to land with the program.

Allen's teammate, defensive lineman Richie Flanigan (Notre Dame), and Pewaukee offensive lineman Cade Reikowski (Northwestern) are the other in-state players committed elsewhere.