No. 1 football recruit in MN cancels official visit with Badgers

Emmanuel Karmo has closed his recruitment.

Wisconsin football coach Luke Fickell watches the team's 10th spring practice, which was held on a practice field north of Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday April 20, 2024. / Mark Stewart / Milwaukee Journal

The top-ranked high school football player in Minnesota, Emmanuel Karmo, has closed his recruitment, cancelling a previously scheduled official visit with the Badgers.

NEWS: #Gophers commit Emmanuel Karmo (@EmmanuelKarmo28) has closed his recruitment, canceling his previously scheduled official visits to Wisconsin, Ohio State and Nebraska.

He is the No. 1 overall ranked player in the state of Minnesota. https://t.co/XaZevCM59h pic.twitter.com/vT2jefC8Ju

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) May 23, 2024

Karmo is a 6-foot-3, 220-pound linebacker, rated as a four-star prospect, according to most recruiting sites. He verbally committed to Minnesota on April 12, but he scheduled official visits to Wisconsin, Ohio State and Nebraska, which have since been canceled.

It's been a good week for me to reflect in the recruiting process & ask myself what is important & what I really want with my recruitment. I came to the conclusion & notified other schools that UofMN is where my heart is & I would not be taking other OVs- recruitment closed #RTB

- Emmanuel Karmo (X.com)

The Badgers are currently building an impressive 2025 recruiting class, with 11 total verbal commitments. Karmo would've been the fifth-highest ranked player out of the group, but now he is the Gophers' top-ranked commitment.

Recruiting over the Minnesota border is a competition that both the Gophers and Badgers programs will continue to have no matter who is coaching. While Karmo's decision to cancel his visit will not drastically impact Wisconsin's 2025 class, a win over Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck and his staff would've been a statement.