BREAKING: Badgers land first blue-chip recruit in 2026 class

 

Wisconsin finally got the top wide receiver recruit they’ve been coveting for some time.

 

The Wisconsin Badgers have secured a commitment from four-star wide receiver Jayden Petit, he announced on Thursday.

 

Petit, a native of Florida, was between Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Missouri, and UNC, with the former two seeming like the top competition at the end.

 

The four-star had officially visited Wisconsin back during the weekend of May 30th, but returned to Wisconsin for an unofficial visit between trips to Missouri and North Carolina with his team.

 

Wisconsin had been in search of a top blue-chip talent in its 2026 class, and Petit is exactly that, coming in as the top recruit in the cycle now for the Badgers.

 

He becomes the third receiver to commit to Wisconsin, joining four-star Zion Legree and three-star Tayshon Bardo. The Badgers had quite a few receiver targets on their board heading into official visits, but several plans changed.

 

Three-star wideout Zachary Washington had been a longtime target and was on campus during the first weekend of official visits, but he ended up going on official visits to Michigan State and West Virginia.

 

Wisconsin was a sneaky contender for Legree, as wide receivers coach Jordan Reid had maintained a strong connection over the years after being the wideout’s first offer back at Western Michigan.

 

The Badgers offered Legree in late May and quickly emerged as a contender after he de-committed from Ole Miss, getting an official visit for the weekend of June 13th. Legree ultimately committed to the program coming out of the weekend, filling Wisconsin up at the position.

 

Wisconsin was expected to take two to three receivers in the 2026 cycle, with the exception being the blue-chipper Petit. If they were able to land him, they’d add a third. If not, they were content with Bardo and Legree, providing speed to the room.

 

Now, Petit is officially on board, and the Badgers have their biggest recruit of the class. It’s been a heck of a first recruiting class for wide receivers coach Jordan Reid, with two four-star talents in the fold now.