Wisconsin Badgers Sweet 16: Inaugural Edition for the 2026 class

The Sweet 16 ranking is based on a combination of three factors: position need, interest in Wisconsin and talent level.

Note: All quotes used in this report are from the Rivals.com network.

Top 11: Auburn, Clemson, Florida, LSU, Miami (FL), Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee, USC, Wisconsin and Florida State

Previous Rank: N/A

The Word: Naeem Burroughs is one of the more heavily-recruited prospects in the country, but Wisconsin has a connection to the Rivals100 athlete. Burroughs' older brother, Quincy Burroughs, is a wide out on the Badgers' current roster.

"The atmosphere was crazy," Burroughs told BadgerBlitz.com after a game this fall. "When we were riding around trying to get to the stadium, there was just so much red all around the campus. You turn the corner and think it's over with, but there's just more and more. I liked how the band came through and it was just a crazy experience. I like the school and the team at Wisconsin. Coach (Luke) Fickell is trying to do something great with them right now."

Offers: Arkansas, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Wisconsin, among others

Previous Rank: N/A

The Word: Evan Goodwin, an unranked tackle from Arkansas, got his first look at Wisconsin this weekend. Despite not holding any stars at this point, Goodwin is near or at the top of AJ Blazek's tackle board in the 2026 recruiting class.

"We were walking into the facilities to get checked in, and all of a sudden we hear Jump Around start playing," Goodwin told BadgerBlitz.com. "We got surrounded by the coaching staff and they were hyped at 8:00 AM. I thought it was great to have that energy and vibe around the coaching staff and school."