Luke Fickell had pulled off a pretty impressive recruiting grab, going into Texas and grabbing one of the fastest players in the 2026 recruiting class. However, that commitment didn't stick as Zachary Taylor has decided he would rather stay with one of the in-state schools and play for TCU. On social media today, the 3-star defensive back announced that he was decommitting from the Badgers and instead committing to the Horned Frogs.
After a lot of thinking and talking over with family and friends, I will be decommiting from the University of Wisconsin, and taking my talents to Texas Christian University! I want to thank my coaches, god, family, and my support system who helped guide me through this difficult… pic.twitter.com/NoFCjGHMU3
— Zachary Taylor | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ DB (@Zach21Taylor) July 18, 2025
Zachary Taylor flips to TCU after briefly committing to Wisconsin
Taylor committed a month ago on June 13th after a successful recruiting visit to Madison. He came away enthralled with the vision that Paul Haynes and Fickell had told him. However, recruiting in Texas isn't the easiest thing to do; there are numerous powerhouse programs competing to retain talent within their own state. This is exactly what happened with Taylor and TCU.
Taylor now goes from a plane flight or an 18-hour drive to a less than three-hour trip from his hometown of Fulshear, Texas, and that had to have influenced his decision.
As for the Badgers, it's a blow to their recruiting, especially as there was only one other defensive back currently in the class. He was also one of the fastest players in the class and was projected to be a player who would help match the speed on the other side. There are some that think the Badgers would put him at safety but either way, it's a blow.
Carsen Eloms is now the lone defensive back player for Luke Fickell's 2026 recruiting class. There will be a need for the recruiting staff to make a push towards other backs. While the class didn't need to be huge for cornerbacks, given that last year had three and the year before had two, this year still needs a couple of DBs.