The top cornerback recruit in the state of Illinois is Raheem Floyd. Luke Fickell, Robert Steeples, and Wisconsin have been after the 4-star defender pretty aggressively and even had a scheduled official visit lined up for May 29. However, just a couple of weeks before that visit, Floyd released his final five schools, and the Badgers weren't on the list.
It's a twist that seems to have come out of nowhere, as Floyd may not have been destined for Wisconsin; he appeared strongly interested. 24/7 Sports even had the Badgers as one of two schools listed with a "warm" designation (signaling there's real mutual interest). The other school was Missouri, which did make the final cut.
NEWS: Four-Star CB Raheem Floyd is down to 5 Schools, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 8, 2026
The 6’2 180 CB is ranked as the No. 1 CB in the state of Illinois (per Rivals Industry)
Where Should He Go?https://t.co/M0t18qtZz4 pic.twitter.com/XGI9JXUhnu
Raheem Floyd narrows his list to five and the Wisconsin Badgers don't make the cut
Related: Wisconsin, Luke Fickell making serious push for 4-star Florida State safety commit
Floyd's final five schools, according to recruiting insider Hayes Fawcett, are Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Missouri, and Ole Miss. Fully signal a desire to play in the SEC. All the Big Ten schools that have been after him were eliminated.
This is a blow to defensive back coach Robert Steeples plans, and it's doubtful he gives up. Floyd may even still take the visit; nothing has been reported on the visit. However, often, recruits who eliminate schools will no longer take the visits. Who knows in this day and age?
It may end up being a simple pivot for Steeples and Wisconsin, as the Badgers have their feelers out to many other top targets in a class that's shaping up nicely. The Badgers have a top-15 class with almost every single top player in the fold from the state of Wisconsin.
It's a recruiting cycle that has looked vastly different than years past, even being in on Floyd at all is a different speed than before. Typically, 4-star players who are borderline 5-stars are not even in the mix for Wisconsin, but things are changing in Madison, and recruiting may be the first real indication of that.
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