The Wisconsin Badgers added offensive tackle Maddox Cochrane to their 2026 recruiting class Sunday.

Here's what the three-star prospect's commitment means for head coach Luke Fickell moving forward.

Story: Wisconsin offered Cochrane, 6-foot-7 and 285 pounds, in March of 2024 and hosted him for the first time this past weekend. Cochrane racked up offers from Florida State, Kentucky, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Fores and West Virginia, among others, prior to his commitment. He was set to see Duke, Virginia Tech and Rutgers officially in June. Instead, Cochrane will take his lone official to UW during the weekend of May 29.

Primary recruiter: AJ Blazek

Comparison on the current roster: Cam Clark

Quick take: Wisconsin needed a recruiting win on the offensive line after seeing a handful of prospects either commit to other programs or not include the Badgers in their top groups this spring. Tackle was a need, and Blazek was able to close Cochrane out during his first time on campus.

"People say you just get that feeling and I’ve been to a lot of colleges," Cochrane told BadgerBlitz.com. "It was just different here and I couldn’t resist the feeling. I connected with the coaches really well and I know I can be developed there to be the best I can be. That’s very important to me and Wisconsin can get me there.

"I’ve been talking to Coach Blaz for over a year now. It’s been consistent and he’s put in a ton of effort to build that relationship. We’ve probably been on FaceTime or called at least two times a week for that whole time. He put in the most effort out of any other college coach. And even the effort from the other guys - Coach (Casey) Rabach and Coach (Zack) Heeman - I clicked really well with all of them and I can tell the guys respect them. That’s why they’re at the top of my list."

In Cochrane, UW is getting another long body and nice frame to add to the unit. He's athletic for his size and has plenty of tape where he gets out and pulls along the offensive line. I like his ability to move in space and it will be interesting to see if projects to left or right tackle. Almost all of his film is on the left, and he looks comfortable operating on that side of the ball.

Cochrane's time with Blazek this weekend ultimately sealed the deal.

"We got there on Friday and we got to hang out a little bit," Cochrane said. "Everything was very nice and very clean when we drove around and checked the town out. We had a fish fry with Coach Blaz and the other offensive line coaches. Some of the 2025 early enrollees were also there, which was great.

"The next morning we got a tour of the whole campus and all the facilities. We talked to the athletic director and heard about the academics. I loved the practice and it was great to see Coach Blaz work with the guys. We then had lunch with Coach Blaz and his family - his dad, his wife and his daughters were there. We built those connections and it was great. We finished the day with a dinner at the Nitty Gritty with Coach Blaz."