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What 2026 Florida wide receiver with Power Four interest experienced at Wisconsin Badgers camp

Derrick McBride II made one of those catches that had University of Wisconsin football players and reporters alike saying "Oh." Hear how the rest of his time at Badgers camp went.
Jake Kocorowski|
Wisconsin wide receivers coach Jordan Reid at Badgers summer camp June 10 inside Camp Randall Stadium.
Wisconsin wide receivers coach Jordan Reid at Badgers summer camp June 10 inside Camp Randall Stadium. | Courtesy of Jake Kocorowski

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It was one of those catches that made University of Wisconsin football players and reporters alike say, "Oh."

Derrick McBride II, who plays for Lakeland Lake Gibson in Florida, ran down the right sideline towards the north end zone with a defensive back draped over him. He adjusted on a deep throw from a quarterback and snatched it, holding on to it as both receiver and defender falling to the ground.

Some Badgers ran down in celebration to congratulate McBride on the contested catch.

"I just kept my eye on the ball and then pinned it on his back so it wouldn't go anywhere," McBride said.

That was a highlight from McBride's time at Wisconsin's second summer camp of 2025 on Tuesday, which included his self-reported time of a 4.47 40-yard dash.

"It was great. It was amazing," he said. "The players were nice and very energetic, and the coaches were dope as well."

Among the drills he ran through included position work that included releases and routes on air. He caught passes from quarterbacks such as 2028 recruit JJ Chapman, but he apparently worked at another position as well.

"And then for the 1-on-1s, there wasn't that many DBs, so I just thought I'd play corner. And I talked to the coach about it, and they wanted to see me at corner, so I hopped out there. But I've never played corner besides that."

McBride caught 28 passes for 512 yards receiver (18.3 yards per catch) and four touchdowns as a junior, according to MaxPreps.com. He was among one of a couple recruits who stood out hauling in throws during Tuesday's camp, and he received some constructive feedback from the Badgers.

"They said my routes needed to be a little more crisp," McBride said. "But other than that, I did pretty good."

He's been in contact with Wisconsin wide receivers coach Jordan Reid since around the start of spring. There's been Power Four interest in McBride, and he said he held offers from Houston and Kansas State. He's also been offered by Group of 5 schools such as Buffalo, Florida International, Marshall and Southern Mississippi.

"(The Badgers) said they would let me know by the end of the week if anything changed," McBride said, "or if they were going to offer me, they would let me know by the end of the week."

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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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