Wisconsin has been recruiting 3-star defensive line recruit Yahya Gaad for months, but the Badgers mostly gave up the chase when he decided to commit to UCLA. Then the Bruins fired their head coach, DeShaun Foster, and Wisconsin, and defensive line coach E.J. Whitlow jumped back in pursuit. They now have him scheduled for a visit on October 11.
I will be officially visiting Wisconsin October 11th!
— Yahya Gaad 🇪🇬 (@yahyagaad5) September 23, 2025
Yahya Gaad will be in attendance for Wisconsin homecoming vs. Iowa
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Gaad is now planning to come and visit Madison during the Wisconsin Badgers' homecoming game against Iowa. This game is going to be an important game for Wisconsin, as it's their next home game, and there will be a great desire not to disappoint the fans at Camp Randall again.
There is an away Michigan game in between, but the odds to beat Iowa will be higher than the odds to beat Michigan. However, Luke Fickell will take wins whenever he can get them, as many fans are bracing for a two-win season after losing to Maryland. There is a chance that the only wins FIckell gets this season going forward will be in the recruiting world.
If that's the case, it will also be hard to win in the recruiting world, and you have to wonder if Gaad is worried he may commit to another program that could fire their head coach.
Gaad is a good prospect and fits what Fickell and Whitlow are trying to build along the defensive line. He's big and strong. Listed as 6'5 and 260 pounds with his frame, he can even put on more weight to fill up more of that defensive front and those big bodies that Fickell likes there.
This is a player that Wisconsin needs to be chasing and working to add to their 2026 recruiting class.