Key Wisconsin Badgers WR recruit de-commits, days after embarrassing loss to Iowa

After Wisconsin's 37-0 loss to Iowa on Saturday, Luke Fickell opened his postgame press conference by calling the defeat "as low as it can be."

Apparently, at least one recruit agreed with him

“That’s as low as it can be. And I apologize… I’m dumbfounded in a lot of ways”

How Fickell starts his opening statement. #Badgers
— Cam Wilhorn (@CamWilhorn) October 12, 2025

2026 three-star wide receiver Tayshon Bardo announced his decommitment from the University of Wisconsin on Monday morning, just 48 hours after the Badgers embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Hawkeyes.

"Respect my decision"

respect my decision. https://t.co/JC0u31nOmP
— Tayshon “TAY” Bardo (@tayshonbardo) October 13, 2025

Bardo was the second pledge Fickell and his staff earned for the 2026 class and had been committed to the Badgers since early March as a cornerstone of the class.

The Mishawaka, Indiana, native chose the Badgers over other Big Ten schools like Indiana and Michigan State.

With Wisconsin sitting at 2-5 this season, with little to no upward momentum, he'll re-open his recruitment.

Wide receiver Tayshon Bardon has decommitted from Wisconsin's 2026 recruiting class one day after the Badgers pick up a commitment from edge Yahya Gaad. Tough blow for the Badgers on Bardo, as he had been one of the leaders of that class.
— Jesse Temple (@jessetemple) October 13, 2025

Related: Wisconsin Badgers secure commitment from former UCLA recruit despite horrendous loss to Iowa

The fear is that it could start a recruiting trend for Wisconsin, which could be on track for its worst season of the 2000s.

The Badgers have won fewer than five games one time in the last 30 seasons, and may be hard pressed to find even a third victory in 2025.

That hasn't happened since Alvarez's 1-10 record in his inaugural season.

One of Wisconsin primary selling points was its consistent success, boasting a 22-year bowl streak that came to an end a season ago and averaging nine wins per year in the first 23 full seasons of this century.

Now on their way to a second straight losing season, the Badgers can't sell an annual postseason appearance or much of any success.

Bardo is the first commit to pull his pledge, but the concern is that an already lost 2025 season will get even uglier due to pending matchups against No. 1 Ohio State, No. 3 Indiana and No. 8 Oregon.

Considering the class only has 15 commitments, and Wisconsin is still making significant pushes for 2027 talent, the Badgers future outlook could turn bleak.

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