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3-star edge rusher chooses SEC school over Wisconsin Badgers

The University of Wisconsin football program still needs to find answers at the outside linebacker positions as a familiar SEC school plucks another key target.
Jake Kocorowski|
Wisconsin outside linebacker target Ben Duncum during a photo shoot at his official visit the weekend of June 12-15.
Wisconsin outside linebacker target Ben Duncum during a photo shoot at his official visit the weekend of June 12-15. | Courtesy of Nicole Duncum

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Wisconsin Badgers

The University of Wisconsin football program still needs to find answers at the outside linebacker position for its 2026 class, as a familiar SEC school beats out the Badgers for a key target.

Ben Duncum, who plays for Austin Lake Travis in Texas, announced Wednesday his commitment to Kentucky.

Duncum’s a three-star recruit by 247Sports who has posted other Power Four offers from BYU, California, Houston, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Maryland and Utah. He took official visits to Oklahoma State, Wisconsin, Kansas State and Kentucky this month.

The Badgers also saw four-star safety Messiah Tilson commit to the Wildcats earlier this month.

Wisconsin does not have a projected outside linebacker who has announced a commitment to the program for its 2026 class as of June 25. Three-star recruit Carmelow Reed, who committed to the Badgers in the spring, flipped to Mississippi earlier this month. Four-star target McHale Blade took an official visit to Madison the weekend of May 29-June 1 but committed to Michigan.

Consensus four-star outside linebacker Jackson Samuels Ford unveiled his final four of Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Wisconsin on Tuesday and said he will announce his commitment Friday. Recent crystal ball predictions for the Pennsylvania native from 247Sports and On3 have him heading to the Nittany Lions.

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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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