Wisconsin has gone from afterthought to the team suddenly carrying the momentum in the race for 5-star edge rusher Jalanie George, and that alone makes this one of the wildest recruiting turns of the Luke Fickell era.
For most of this chase, the Badgers weren’t even in the conversation as a real threat. Washington looked like the team to beat, Auburn was right there, and Miami was never the kind of program anyone wanted to completely dismiss. When George cut his list to those four schools and set an October 1 announcement date, Wisconsin was not the pick most people were circling.
That has changed fast.
Three predictions dropped today that George will end up committing to Wisconsin next week, and they came from heavy hitters in the recruiting world: Steve Wiltfong, Brandon Huffman, and Evan Flood. Nobody is pushing this as a lock, but all three were willing to go at least 60% on the Badgers. For a recruitment that started with Wisconsin as the long shot, that’s a massive shift.
If it holds, it would be the biggest recruiting surprise of the Fickell era.
It would also be a notable breakthrough for Wisconsin on the trail. The Badgers have not signed a 5-star recruit since Nolan Rucci in 2021, and they have yet to land one during Fickell’s tenure. They’ve brought in some high-level 4-stars and added more blue-chip talent over the last couple of cycles, but landing a nationally coveted edge rusher from out of state - especially one with power-conference giants chasing him - would be a different level entirely.
George has the résumé to match the buzz. Rivals lists him as the No. 23 player in his class, the No. 6 edge rusher, and the No. 2 player in Arizona. At 6-foot-4 and 255 pounds, he’s already built like a problem for high school offenses, and his explosiveness has made him one of the top edge prospects in the country.
Wisconsin has clearly done work to get itself into this position. The Badgers already have two other edge rushers from George’s high school lined up in the 2027 class, Yahzeen Zion and Nathan Jones, which helps build familiarity. But the visit that may have really pushed things in Wisconsin’s favor came a couple of weeks ago, when George was on campus for a game day experience.
He talked about seeing Sebastian Cheeks “wreaking havoc in the backfield,” and he liked the way Wisconsin planned to use him. George also said his relationship with Matt Mitchell has been a big part of the process and has helped a lot in his recruitment.
Washington had been viewed as the favorite for a long stretch, but Auburn’s most recent visit changed the timing of George’s process. After that trip, he decided to lock in his announcement date and finalize his four schools. That often points to the last stop gaining ground, yet this time the momentum appears to have swung the other way.
Now, Wisconsin is the program drawing the predictions, and if that holds through October 1, the Badgers will have pulled off a recruiting stunner.
In Other News...
Wisconsin Has A Left Tackle Concern At The Worst Time
Wisconsins offensive line has settled in well enough to give the offense a real chance to breathe, and that matters with league play approaching. Through the first three games, the group has looked more connected in pass protection and has kept the quarterback relatively clean, with just two sacks allowed, while several linemen have drawn praise for steady play and better cohesion.
The one uneasy spot has been on the edge, where PJ Wilkins has had a harder time holding up in pass protection and has surrendered multiple pressures. The staff has already acknowledged the issue, and if the problems continue, there is a backup option in Lucas Simmons-Johansson who could see more work, which makes left tackle a position worth watching closely at exactly the wrong time for the Badgers. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Suddenly Has A Real Shot At A Massive Recruiting Win
Wisconsins 2027 recruiting push has taken on real momentum, with the Badgers now sitting at 23 commitments and building a class that includes several of the states best prospects along with important adds from Arizona. For a program that has made in-state talent a priority while also looking beyond its borders for impact players, the group has started to look less like a promising haul and more like one that could reshape the conversation around the class.
The next big swing comes from Desert Edge High School edge rusher Jalanie George, a five-star talent whose decision is expected on October 1. Recruiting analysts have recently moved their projections toward Wisconsin over Washington, which is a notable shift for a prospect of that caliber and one the Badgers would gladly celebrate. Even with the class already growing, landing George would be the kind of headliner that changes how the rest of the country views what Wisconsin is building. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Just Got A Key Boost Ahead Of Penn State
Wisconsin got a useful update on the injury front as the Badgers and Penn State turned in their second availability reports ahead of a Big Ten matchup that already carried plenty of weight. Wisconsins list looks cleaner than Penn States, with fewer players tagged out or questionable and a couple of notable names moving into probable status, including Malachi Coleman and Abu Sama III.
For a team trying to line up its best available group at the right time, that matters. Penn State, meanwhile, is still managing absences and uncertainty, with Koby Howard ruled out and Brock Riker still questionable, which gives Wisconsin a healthier look heading into a game where every available body can tilt the margin. [Read more 🡒]