Which remaining Wisconsin Badgers 2026 defensive targets to watch after official visits

There are still some areas for the University of Wisconsin football program to address on defense for its 2026 class.

Wisconsin currently has 13 scholarship players that have announced their commitments to coach Luke Fickell and the team for this forthcoming recruiting cycle, along with walk-on offensive lineman Aiden Dirksen (Green Bay Bay Port). Eight of those commits have declared their intentions since June 8.

The Badgers have added commits to their defensive line (Djidjou Bah, Arthur Scott), linebacker (Ben Wenzel) and safety (Zachary Taylor) groups this month, but safety, outside linebacker, and cornerback are three key units where they could still add numbers to this recruiting class.

Wisconsin Badgers On SI homed in on which offensive recruits to watch after weekends of official visits took place as the dead period started Monday. We previously looked at which 2026 players, who are projected to play safety, to keep tabs on after Chase Geter's commitment to Syracuse on Sunday. But here are a few more defensive recruits to keep tabs on going forward this summer.

Edge rusher Ben Duncum (Austin Lake Travis, Texas)

Wisconsin still does not have a projected edge rusher/outside linebacker currently for its 2026 class after Carmelow Reed flipped to Mississippi earlier this month. Badgers fans may know Duncum's decision first from this group of recruits, as he announced Monday that his verbal commitment would come Wednesday at 1 p.m. CT.

Duncum's a three-star recruit who took an official visit the weekend of June 13-15.

"I had a great time here," Duncum told Wisconsin Badgers On SI on June 15. "Did a lot of fun things, coming on a pontoon boat with the coaches, some of the other recruits, too. We had four boats out there. Coach Fickell rode up on his jet skis with his kids. It was really personal, really family-orientated. Coaches were doing flips off of boats with us. It was pretty awesome.

"Then we had laser tag and hibachi last night. It was really cool, and then got to hang out with the players a lot also after all our activities."

I will be announcing my commitment this Wednesday at 1 Cst pic.twitter.com/QjDhmSBB0n
— Ben Duncum 4⭐️ (@ben_duncum) June 23, 2025

Outside linebacker Jackson Samuels Ford (Malvern Prep, Pennsylvania)

Duncum and Samuels Ford will be two names to watch at the position group after four-star recruit McHale Blade committed to Michigan. Ford met current Badgers and recruits on his official visit to Wisconsin the weekend of May 29-June 1, a trip that "went really well."

"It was like a surreal feeling," Samuels Ford said earlier this month. "It was very exciting.

"And ... they set the bar extremely high."

Wisconsin has stiff competition for Samuels Ford, who announced via Instagram his final four schools of the Badgers, Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State.

Cornerback Jamyan Theodore (Chattanooga Baylor, Tennessee)

Wisconsin currently has one cornerback commit in three-star recruit Carsen Eloms (Fishers, Indiana), but based on who we know took official visits in the last month, Theodore was the only other projected corner to come to Madison.

"My relationship with the whole coaching staff has been great," Theodore said earlier this month. "Coach Fickell, coach (Paul) Haynes, coach (Mike) Tressel, just spending a lot of time with them throughout the whole visit, and also throughout my unofficial visit when I came in earlier (in the year).

"Me and coach Haynes have a great relationship. His main message was that I was a big priority for them and that they were only taking one more DB. Because they already had one commit, and they're only taken another one, and they they only had one other DB (take an OV). So it was me, the commit Carsen, and that's about it. So they're really looking for me to commit and would be priority for them."

Theodore has interest from SEC and ACC schools. He took official visits to Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee. He was also slated for one to Louisville.

Theodore previously told Wisconsin Badgers On SI that he anticipated announcing his commitment July 1.

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