As programs wrap up spring camps, players get sent home for the summer and the days get progressively warmer, we've reached the precipice of one of the most crucial times in the football recruiting calendar: official visit season.
Over the next two months, Wisconsin will host dozens of uncommitted prospects as it looks to fill out the bulk of its 2026 recruiting class.
At this time last cycle, Wisconsin had nine verbal commitments in its 2025 class. The Badgers currently hold six verbal commitments in the 2026 cycle. How does that stack up to the rest of the Big Ten?
Below, BadgerBlitz.com examines how Wisconsin's 2026 recruiting efforts compare to the rest of the conference, an ever-important measuring stick in the new, ultra-competitive 18-team Big Ten. Much will change when the dust settles after official visit season, but how have the Badgers positioned themselves within the conference before the commitments really start to fly?
We've organized the conference into tiers, and we'll begin with the one program currently in a league of its own.
*Check out Rivals' BIG TEN RECRUITING RANKINGS here*
TIER 1: THE CURRENT TOP RECRUITING TEAM IN THE NATION
Program(s): USC
The Word: The Trojans aren't just outpacing the Big Ten; they're putting the nation on notice with their prolific recruiting efforts in the '26 class. USC currently has the No. 1 recruiting ranking in the country. Its 26 verbal commits are 10 more pledges than the next closest school. Its 2,655 points are by far and away at the top — the next closest program in the nation (Clemson) has 1,612. Their 16 four-star recruits are four more than the next closest in that category (Notre Dame).
Simply put, no one can touch USC on the recruiting trail right now, in the Big Ten or otherwise. Quite frankly, this shouldn't come as a surprise to Badger fans who followed the prosperous recruiting efforts of former Wisconsin general manager Max Stienecker, who now serves as the executive director of personnel in Los Angeles. Now at a blue blood program with boundless resources located in one of the most fertile football recruiting grounds in the country, it's little surprise to see Stienecker and company thriving at USC.
