The Wisconsin Badgers had over 15+ recruits on campus this weekend, as the official visits are officially underway for the offseason. The weekend has already been very profitable, with Luke Fickell's second commitment coming in the form of 3-star linebacker Ben Wenzel. Wenzel is an in-state product from Appleton, Wisconsin.
BREAKING: Class of 2026 LB Ben Wenzel has Committed to Wisconsin, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 1, 2025
The 6’3 220 LB from Appleton, WI chose the Badgers over Michigan State & Oklahoma
“I am staying home. Roll Badgers!”https://t.co/cVHlwgx23s pic.twitter.com/o8JW4rnzaY
3-star LB Ben Wenzel has committed to Wisconsin
Ben Wenzel marks the second major commitment from the busy Wisconsin recruiting weekend. He joins 3-star DL Arthur Scott. These two players are part of a weekend that featured some of the top targets for Wisconsin, and it's already paying off.
According to Tayshon Bardo, an already committed 2026 recruit, there are many more coming from this weekend. He posted an exciting message for Badger fans on social media, and he was also on campus this weekend, helping the coaching staff bring in more players.
it’s about to be a lot coming badger nation be ready😂😂💯 https://t.co/8JHa93UJu2
— Tayshon “TAY” Bardo (@tayshonbardo) June 1, 2025
Adding Ben Wenzel is a good sign for Luke Fickell and his staff, as there has been some bad publicity surrounding in-state players leaving to play for other schools. The idea of "building a wall" is essential in the Wisconsin recruiting game; however, that has yet to be the case in the 2026 class.
The number one recruit out of Wisconsin went to Minnesota and basically bashed Wisconsin on his way. Two of the other top five have chosen to go to Indiana and Iowa. This news that Fickell was able to land star linebacker Wenzel is huge for both the future of the program and the future of recruiting Wisconsin. Hopefully, more will join Wenzel in staying home.
Wenzel is a 6'3", 215 lb linebacker who had 14 offers and planned to visit both Wisconsin and Oklahoma. He was planning to check out the Sooners at the end of June. However, before he could do that, Luke Fickell got him to stay home and play for Wisconsin.