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Badgers' top-rated 2026 recruit chooses SEC school after de-committing from Wisconsin

The Badgers top-rated recruit in the 2026 class quickly found a new home after de-committing from Wisconsin this week.
Lorin Cox|
Consensus four-star wide receiver Jayden Petit, who was at Wisconsin's camp on June 17, visited the Badgers.
Consensus four-star wide receiver Jayden Petit, who was at Wisconsin's camp on June 17, visited the Badgers. | Courtesy of Jake Kocorowski

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The Badgers top-rated recruit in the 2026 class quickly found a new home after de-committing from Wisconsin this week.

Less than 24 hours after wide receiver Jayden Petit from Naples, Florida announced his change of heart away from Madison, he decided on his new school.

The No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners flipped the four-star recruit and landed his commitment Thursday afternoon.

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Petit was the Badgers' highest-rated recruit in the 2026 class, a four-star prospect that 247Sports ranks as the 13th best wide receiver in the country.

At 6-foot-4, 196 pounds, he dominated in Southwest Florida high school football this season, setting records with eye-popping statlines almost every week.

That brought him even more attention for his recruiting, all while Wisconsin struggled on the field.

Even as the Badgers have played better in recent weeks, the offense still hasn't found any consistency in the passing game, making it a tougher sell to attract wide receivers.

Related: Wisconsin Badgers are considered favorites to flip 4-star LB who just de-committed from Louisville

Oklahoma had been in pursuit for Petit for some time prior to his flip.

The receiver took a visit to Norman for a Top 15 matchup between two SEC schools in late October. A little over a month later, he committed to the Sooners.

His de-commitment leaves Wisconsin with just one scholarship wide receiver in the 2026 class: three-star recruit Zion Legree from Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

The early signing period begins next week, and Luke Fickell's recruiting staff isn't letting up anytime soon, but the loss of Petit is a huge void that will be tough to fill.

It will be hard for Badgers fans to watch him in Oklahoma and wonder what he could have done for Wisconsin.

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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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