All Badgers

Badgers land early commitment from No. 1 recruit in state of Wisconsin for 2027 class

The top-ranked recruit in the state of Wisconsin announced his commitment to play for Luke Fickell and the Badgers in the freshman class of 2027.
Lorin Cox|
Iola-Scandinavia High School tight end Korz Loken committed to the Wisconsin Badgers in the 2027 recruiting class.
Iola-Scandinavia High School tight end Korz Loken committed to the Wisconsin Badgers in the 2027 recruiting class. | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In this story:

Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers seem to be making in-state recruiting a bigger priority in the class of 2027.

Almost a year ahead of early signing day for that class, Luke Fickell landed a commitment from the No. 1 ranked recruit in the state of Wisconsin.

At the Navy All-American Bowl on Saturday, Iola-Scandinavia tight end Korz Loken announced his pledge to the Badgers.

Loken is a consensus four-star recruit by all of the major recruiting outlets. 247 Sports ranks him the highest as the fourth-best tight end in the nation and a Top 120 player overall.

Important early commitment

He suffered an arm injury that limited his statistical production this season, but the 6-foot-5, 220 pound tight end is an athletic pass catcher who made a name for himself as a sophomore and has a chance to boost his profile with a dominant senior season this fall.

That's why it was so critical for Wisconsin to secure his commitment now, because Loken could attract even more attention with another breakout season.

The Badgers were battling Indiana, Notre Dame and Kansas for his services, but he chose to stick with his hometown team.

Sign Up For the Wisconsin Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Wisconsin Badgers Newsletter

He previously expressed a desire to help lead the charge to recruit more 2027 athletes to whatever school he committed to. Expect him to be active in trying to sway other top athletes, like in-state offensive lineman Cole Reiter, who ranks as the second-best recruit in Wisconsin.

Loken is the second commitment Fickell has landed in the 2027 class. Verona offensive lineman Ethan McIntosh, son of athletic director Chris McIntosh, committed in November.

The Badgers have since replaced their offensive line that recruited him, so efforts to retaining McIntosh and Loken will be critical as schools try to flip them over the next 11 months.

More Wisconsin Badgers News:

Published
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.

Home/Recruiting