Another frustrating miss after being in the final four for Luke Fickell and EJ Whitlow. For Ben Duncum, it came down to Wisconsin, Kentucky, Kansas State, and Oklahoma State, and ultimately, Duncum chose to play for Kentucky. This is hard to stomach for Fickell's recruiting class as he continues to miss on a high-priority position.
Fickell has said that he wants to get bigger in the trenches both now and in the future. The recruiting class has focused heavily on the defensive line, and he has struggled to get past the finalists for his top priorities. The only true defensive line commitments are Arthur Scott and Djidbou Bah, which isn't ideal because even Bah is on flip watch after a visit to Missouri.
This only goes to remind us that Fickell has already lost a defensive line commitment from Carmelow Reed, who flipped to Ole Miss last month. This leaves Bah and Scott as the lone DL recruits in the 2026 class, and Fickell was hoping to add Duncum to that list.
Where does Luke Fickell now turn after losing out on DL recruit Ben Duncum?
You can argue that Aden Reeder is a defensive line recruit, as he's projected to be a pass rusher from the outside linebacker position. Therefore, if we are being gracious to the 2026 recruiting class, Fickell has two committed to that position.
Duncum felt a bit like a long shot as he's from Texas, and while Wisconsin has had some success in Texas, it's not a natural pipeline. He would have been a huge help along the defensive line and projects as someone who can really develop at the college level. He's a two-sport athlete, being one of the best discus throwers at his high school.
Fickell doesn't seem to have many other options in the 2026 class, as Duncum was the last DL player who had a visit scheduled or had already visited. So, some creativity and reaching out to other players in the class may be needed. It would be ideal if Wisconsin could add 3-4 defensive line recruits.