Wisconsin Badgers not done in 2026 recruiting class, could land one more 4-star defensive lineman

The Wisconsin Badgers signed 14 players to their 2026 recruiting class in December, and that was supposed to be the end of it.

Luke Fickell intentionally went with a smaller freshman class as he turned his attention to the transfer portal and brought in over 30 news players from other schools.

Now the portal window is closed, and Fickell might sneak one more freshman into his 2026 class.

According to On3 reporter Greg Biggins, the Badgers are one of the top teams for defensive lineman Anthony Jones from Irvine, California.

Irvine (Calif.) Crean Lutheran DL Anthony Jones is one of the last remaining un-signed players in the '26 class and will make his college choice on Signing Day later this week https://t.co/8peiSAP2Ev pic.twitter.com/ijWWmilve0
— Greg Biggins (@GregBiggins) February 3, 2026

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247 Sports and ESPN both rate Jones as a four-star recruit and a Top 35 defensive lineman in the country.

He had originally committed to UCLA last May but decommitted when the Bruins fired their head coach in-season.

He remains unsigned, but he is set to make his decision on National Signing Day Wednesday.

According to Biggins, Jones took a visit to Wisconsin last week before visiting Oregon over the weekend.

“Wisconsin is a school with great tradition, and I like the direction the program is going in," Jones told On3. "There’s a path there for success, and I’m thankful I was able to see that first hand.”

1 week at a time #4sup pic.twitter.com/BqZlfmipDk
— 4⭐️Anthony “poppa” Jones (@Ajones2026) September 14, 2025

Related: Wisconsin Badgers are recruiting the son of a former Green Bay Packers play-making safety

The Badgers have two other defensive line commits signed in the 2026 class with Djidjou Bah from Germantown, Tennessee and Arthur Scott from Streetsboro, Ohio.

Jones ranks higher than both of them on 247 Sports and ESPN but not Rivals.

If he comes to Wisconsin, he'll be a little behind the rest of the class. FIckell prioritized players who could enroll early at the school in January to get a head start in the program to potentially play as freshmen.

Jones could be a player who sits out the 2026 as he develops and puts on bulk to make a bigger impact on the defensive line in year two.

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