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Wisconsin Badgers pursuing multiple Penn State recruits who decommitted after firing

The Wisconsin Badgers wasted no time going after Penn State recruits that decommitted from the Nittany Lions after the program moved on from James Franklin.
Lorin Cox|
Penn State coach James Franklin leads his team onto the field before a game Saturday, October 26, 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
Penn State coach James Franklin leads his team onto the field before a game Saturday, October 26, 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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The Wisconsin Badgers are trying to take advantage of the recruiting opportunities that come when other teams fire their head coach.

Luke Fickell wasted no time going after Penn State recruits that decommitted from the Nittany Lions after the program moved on from James Franklin.

It started last week with a scholarship offer to three-star defensive back Julian Peterson from New Jersey, and the Badgers added a few more to the list on Tuesday.

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Three-star safety Darrell Carey announced his decommitment on Monday, and less than 24 hours later, he had an offer from Wisconsin.

247 Sports ranks him as a Top 30 safety in the country and a Top 10 player in the state of Maryland.

He had committed to Penn State back in April, but he pointed to the recent changes in the program as the reasons for looking elsewhere.

Wisconsin was the first and only team (so far) that Carey has announced a new offer from. He had previous interest from his home state school Maryland along with Oregon, Texas A&M and others.

Fickell does not have a true safety committed yet for the class of 2026.

On the same day, the Badgers also made an offer to three-star wide receiver Lavar Keys, who decommitted from the Nittany Lions on Oct. 12.

He is also a Maryland native, and he is ranked as a Top 75 wide receiver in the country by Rivals.

Listed at 5-foot-9, 165 pounds, he is a little undersized but makes up for it with speed and quickness.

Since decommitting, he has started visiting other Big Ten schools. He was on campus with Indiana last weekend and will take a trip to Maryland this coming weekend.

It will reveal a lot about his level of interest if Wisconsin can also get him on a visit quickly, with two home games left on the Badgers schedule.

The Badgers have two other wide receivers committed for 2026, but the top recruit of the group, four-star Jayden Petit, took a visit with Oklahoma last week.

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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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