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Wisconsin Badgers adding to in-state football recruiting for 2026 with priority walk-ons

Amid plenty of scrutiny about Wisconsin Badgers' in-state recruiting, Luke Fickell and his staff have been stepping it up in recent weeks.
Lorin Cox|
Waunakee's McCoy Smith, left, watches Wisconsin tight ends coach Nate Letton give instructions during Badgers summer camp June 10.
Waunakee's McCoy Smith, left, watches Wisconsin tight ends coach Nate Letton give instructions during Badgers summer camp June 10. | Courtesy of Jake Kocorowski

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Wisconsin Badgers

Amid plenty of scrutiny about Wisconsin Badgers' in-state recruiting, Luke Fickell and his staff have been stepping it up in recent weeks.

While the program has been making plenty of offers to 2027 athletes in Wisconsin, the Badgers are also circling back around to some 2026 recruits in the state who aren't as highly regarded.

Fickell has only secured one scholarship commitment from a Wisconsin high school football player for 2026 in Appleton North linebacker Ben Wenzel.

But more recently, the Badgers have looked to some priority walk-ons in the state to give them more of a presence at Wisconsin schools.

It started late last month when Waunakee star McCoy Smith decided to come play for the Badgers.

He is not rated by any of the major recruiting outlets, playing defensive line and running back for the in-state powerhouse.

Smith had participated in a Badgers camp this summer, and the coaching staff envisions him playing a role on offense in a fullback or tight end role.

Related: Waunakee standout 'over the moon' after receiving preferred walk-on offer from Wisconsin Badgers

Then on Thursday, another Madison-area standout accepted a priority walk-on offer to come play for Wisconsin: Sun Prairie East kicker/punter Brady Melum.

He is also an unrated recruit. For his senior season, he hit all 26 of his point after attempts and was 6-of-11 on field goals. His long on the year was from 49 yards.

39 of his 46 kickoffs were touchbacks, and he averaged 35 yards per punt.

The Badgers also made a priority walk-on pitch to one other in-state recruit this week.

Reedsburg quarterback/safety Will Mikonowicz announced the offer on social media, though he previously announced his commitment to Division-II Minnesota-Duluth.

He made headlines recently in the Wisconsin high school playoffs, rushing 30 times for 498 yards and seven touchdown in a single game.

Whether he wants to forgo his D-II opportunity to come walk on for the Badgers is still to be determined, but it's clear that Fickell's staff is pushing for more in-state players to join the program.

They might not be scholarship offers, but the Wisconsin high school talent pool for 2026 doesn't have as many highly rated players as other classes. 2027 looks to be a different story.

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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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