The 2026 recruiting class for the Wisconsin Badgers is shaping up, and more and more recruits are making their choices. Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 21, could be either a great day or a frustrating day for the Badgers—or even somewhere in between, as there are two targets set to make their commitments.
The first is defensive lineman King Liggins from Chicago, who is set to pick between Illinois and Wisconsin. The second is linebacker Mason Marden, who recently went from a top-5 to a top-4. Now he knows where he wants to play next year, so he's announcing that choice tomorrow. The only school he cut was the Kansas Jayhawks.
3-star LB Mason Marden will choose between Arizona State, Michigan State, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin
The timing of his announcement doesn't bode well for the Badgers. Marden has an official visit set up for Wisconsin for the weekend of June 13. He has yet to take that visit, and he's already planning to commit. However, it's hard to know because the only school in his final four he's actually visited is Arizona State.
That could be where he is planning to go, but the timing may indicate that he has made his decision ahead of the visits based on other factors. There are no crystal ball predictions put in by experts and his decision seems to be unknown to others.
He announced on his instagram and his X that he will be comitting in the evening tomorrow on Wednesday at LaDue High School, where he plays. He will also be streaming it live on the school's instagram.
Wisconsin recently added a linebacker, Aden Reeder, to the 2026 recruiting class. While the Badgers would love to add Marden, they are not in a place of desperation. There are other targets that Wisconsin is chasing after. Marden may, in fact, choose the Badgers, and if so, it'll be a big addition, but if not, Luke Fickell will pivot.