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Minnesota, Indiana landing more 2026 Wisconsin high school football recruits than Badgers so far

Luke Fickell has just one in-state recruit committed to play for the Wisconsin Badgers. Minnesota and Indiana have a lot more.
Lorin Cox|
Appleton North High School’s Ben Wenzel (7) is the only in-state recruit committed to the Wisconsin Badgers in the class of 2026.
Appleton North High School’s Ben Wenzel (7) is the only in-state recruit committed to the Wisconsin Badgers in the class of 2026. | Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

Luke Fickell has received plenty of criticism over a perceived lack of in-state recruiting as Wisconsin Badgers head coach.

Wisconsin high school recruits continuing to commit to other Big Ten schools isn't helping.

The latest to make the pledge to a conference rival is Madison Memorial offensive lineman Beckett Schreiber, who committed to the Minnesota Golden Gophers Monday.

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Rivals has the three-star recruit as the eighth-best player in the state and the 112th ranked offensive lineman in the country. 247 Sports also has him as a three-star, but ESPN has him unranked.

Schreiber is the second Wisconsin offensive lineman to commit to Minnesota, along with Janesville Parker's Gavin Meier, who is the No. 1 ranked recruit in the state for 2026.

The Badgers offered Meier, but they did not offer Schreiber.

Related: Where Wisconsin Badgers' 2026 football recruiting class ranks, one month from National Signing Day

The latest commitment makes it now four Wisconsin high school players pledging to play at Minnesota next year.

Indiana also has also landed two players from the state.

Fickell has just one in-state player committed in his 2026 recruiting class: linebacker Ben Wenzel from Appleton North.

According to 247 Sports, Wisconsin offered four other in-state recruits for next year, including Meier.

Oak Creek offensive lineman James Thomas is the only other in-state recruit for 2026 that the Badgers offered who hasn't committed to a school.

Fickell brought in five in-state recruits in his 2025 recruiting class, led by linebacker Cooper Catalano from Germantown.

The debate is whether the coaching staff should prioritize Wisconsin high school athletes over players from other states they might view as more talented.

Minnesota and Indiana are seeing talent they like here.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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