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This Badgers linebacker commit 'fell in love for Wisconsin even more' during official visit

Aden Reeder's been no stranger to Madison in recent months, but this time he returned to town as a commit. Here's what he experienced on his Wisconsin official visit.
Jake Kocorowski|
Wisconsin locked in a verbal commitment from versatile 2026 linebacker Aden Reeder from Cincinnati St. Xavier.
Wisconsin locked in a verbal commitment from versatile 2026 linebacker Aden Reeder from Cincinnati St. Xavier. | Courtesy of LaDasha Reeder

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Aden Reeder's been no stranger to Madison in recent months.

Reeder, a three-star linebacker who plays for Cincinnati St. Xavier, visited in March for a junior day event thrown by the University of Wisconsin football staff and attended an April practice. He returned this past weekend for an official visit, but this time as a commit.

"It was great seeing kind of the culture and the vibe of being there for 48 hours and seeing the whole team, and even seeing some of the guys that came in that June period like Mason (Posa) and all of them," Reeder said.

"It was great. Kind of got enveloped in the culture and fell in love for Wisconsin even more."

Linebacker Thomas Heiberger served as host for Reeder, and according to the recruit, Posa also tagged along. Posa, a consensus four-star recruit who emerged as one of the program's key 2025 signees, was among the several freshmen moving to Madison in recent days.

Reeder's favorite part of the visit was playing laser tag – though he conceded freshman cornerback Jai'mier Scott was the best participant in that friendly contest – or basketball, and the team stood out to him the most on the trip.

"Everywhere I went, the linebackers came with me," Reeder said. "We went on the lake. We went on the boat. Everywhere I went, the linebacker coach and linebackers came with me, so it felt like it was a whole squad. We were a part of a family."

Reeder announced his verbal commitment to the Badgers last month, telling assistant inside linebackers coach Tuf Borland the news when the coach visited him. The recruit said "it's like a family bond now" between him, Borland and defensive coordinator Mike Tressel where they laugh and joke but also "definitely got down to the gritty in the film room."

It appears the staff believes Reeder could play multiple linebacker roles within the Badgers' defense.

"So they envision me at the kind of the 'Will' spot, but they want me to learn 'Mike' as well, so a little bit of everything," Reeder said. "But at first, they want me to kind of secure that I can play good in the box before they put me back at the edge, like I am at St. (Xavier).

"So get good in the box so I can earn the privilege to get back at the edge a little bit."

Reeder bonded with fellow 2026 commits, offensive linemen Benjamin Novak and Maddox Cochrane. But he also put on his unofficial recruiter cap with defensive backs in town such as Chase Geter and Jamyan Theodore, calling them "great guys."

It wasn't really difficult for Reeder to attempt persuading those uncommitted recruits to come to Wisconsin, as he conveyed his reason for choosing the Badgers, all while respecting their individual journeys.

"It's also like a teenager thing where you just connect with them, and kind of building a friendship with them," Reeder said. "So it wasn't as hard."

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Jake Kocorowski
JAKE KOCOROWSKI

Jake Kocorowski has covered the Wisconsin football program since the 2013 season for a few outlets, most recently at the Wisconsin State Journal/BadgerExtra. He wrote, directed and edited BadgerExtra’s “Rags to Roses” series about the 1993 Wisconsin football team that won second place in the 2023 APSE Division C Project category.

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