How Luke Fickell, Wisconsin football retain recruits who could flip

MADISON – Wisconsin football undoubtedly has momentum on the field and on the recruiting trail.

The Badgers are 4-1, marking their best five-game start since Luke Fickell’s first season. The Badgers‘ 2027 recruiting class ranks 27th in 247 Sports’ composite rankings and includes eight of the 11 highest-rated prospects in the state.

With the early signing period looming in December, Wisconsin is in a critical stretch for maintaining that recruiting momentum. It also is under the microscope after highly touted recruit Kingston Allen announced an offer from Ohio State.

Allen has been committed to the Badgers since April. He has a four-star rating from 247 Sports, which considers him to be the seventh-best running back nationally in the 2027 class. The Green Bay Notre Dame star running back will break the state record for games with 300-plus rushing yards, barring any statistical corrections, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Fickell – speaking generally about retaining recruits who have verbally committed – emphasized the importance of maintaining relationships.

“If you stop having those conversations with guys and stop doing a really good job of building a relationship, even during the season, yeah, there’s going to be a lot of other opportunities out there for guys.”

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See Wisconsin football highlights vs Michigan State at Camp Randall

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See Wisconsin football highlights vs Michigan State at Camp Randall

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See Wisconsin football highlights vs Michigan State at Camp Randall

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See Wisconsin football highlights vs Michigan State at Camp Randall

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See Wisconsin football highlights vs Michigan State at Camp Randall

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See Wisconsin football highlights vs Michigan State at Camp Randall

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See Wisconsin football highlights vs Michigan State at Camp Randall

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See Wisconsin football highlights vs Michigan State at Camp Randall

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See Wisconsin football highlights vs Michigan State at Camp Randall

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See Wisconsin football highlights vs Michigan State at Camp Randall

Wisconsin needs little reminder of how prospects’ verbal commitments can change after last year’s losses in the 2026 recruiting class. Amari Latimer – a four-star running back and the top-rated player in Wisconsin’s 2026 class – most notably flipped his commitment last December from the Badgers to West Virginia.

Aden Reeder, a linebacker from the Cincinnati area, decommitted from UW last November and committed a few days later to Michigan. Wide receiver Jayden Petit flipped from UW to Oklahoma, and tight end Jack Janda flipped from UW to Iowa (and flipped positions to defensive line).

But last year’s recruiting attrition was with much different win-loss circumstances. The Badgers lost six straight games in 2025, heard “Fire Fickell” chants and finished with an anything-but-glamarous 4-8 record.

UW has already matched its 2025 win total with its 4-1 start. That has included a signature road win over then-No. 14 Penn State, although it lost some luster with the Nittany Lions’ last two losses. UW needs only two more wins for bowl eligibility and is enjoying a much more favorable Big Ten schedule.

“It can be a hell of a lot easier to retain them when you have greater success on Saturdays,” Fickell said. “There’s no doubt about that. But it’s still about continuing to build the relationships. It’s not letting up. That doesn’t ever change.”

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How Luke Fickell, Wisconsin football retain recruits who could flip