After naming the Wisconsin Badgers to his top nine schools yesterday, four-star offensive lineman Ben Nichols will now take his second visit to the school this Saturday. It's shaping up to be a big recruiting weekend for Luke Fickell and Co.
Nichols, a 2026 prospect, named Wisconsin as one of his finalists on Monday alongside Alabama, Ohio State, Notre Dame and more. He'll now visit Camp Randall for the Badgers matchup against No. 1 Oregon.
TOP 9‼️… Thank you to every Program and Coach that has believed in me and given me these opportunities. These will be the top 9 Schools I will be focusing on from now on. @AllenTrieu @RivalsFriedman @samspiegs @GregSmithRivals @RivalsRichie @ChadSimmons_ @SWiltfong_ pic.twitter.com/DiGr7x55wz
— Ben Nichols 4⭐️ (@BNichols2026) November 11, 2024
The 6-6, 300-pound lineman is the 17th ranked interior lineman in the 2026 class according to 247Sports. Wisconsin currently holds two commits for the 2026 class in QB Jarin Mock and OL Benjamin Novak.
The Michigan native's visit will be the second for him to Madison after first seeing the Badgers dominate Purdue last month. Fickell and his staff will face steep competition for the lineman, as he also has a visit with Tennessee on the schedule for the following week. It's still early in the 2026 cycle, though, and as of right now Wisconsin has the 32nd ranked class in the country.
4-star QB Carter Smith will also be in town for the Oregon game
As most of you know by now, Wisconsin will also be hosting four-star quarterback Carter Smith this weekend, though this will be an official visit. Smith was previously committed to Michigan, but he recently opened up his recruitment.
Not long after that, the Badgers stepped up their recruiting efforts and were able to finalize the details for his upcoming official. Several other schools are in the mix, including Florida State, Utah, Penn State and more.
The Badgers have QB Landyn Locke, the younger brother of Braedyn Locke, on board for their 2025 class. However, they're hoping to make a splash by winning a late recruiting battle. Smith would no question be a big-time get for Fickell.