Wisconsin football impresses fast rising 2027 QB Chance Thomas at Bucky’s BBQ
Wisconsin football made a strong impression on 2027 QB Chance Thomas during Bucky’s BBQ, changing his perception of the program entirely.
There are your standard recruiting visits, and then there are recruiting visits that change the way a player sees your program entirely. For 2027 quarterback Chance Thomas out of California, his first trip to check out the Wisconsin Badgers falls firmly into that second category.
Thomas, who’s seen his stock rise quite a bit in recent months, made his way to Madison for Bucky’s BBQ—one of the cornerstone summer events on the Badgers’ recruiting calendar. And while the grills were hot and the itinerary full, what stood out to the nation's No. 32 signal-caller wasn’t just the football. It was the place. It was the people and the plan.
Thomas has been busy this month. His visit to Madison came after a run of high-profile stops, including SMU, Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State, and North Carolina. Next up? A swing through the state of Florida to check out UCF and Miami. That’s the kind of month you have when your recruitment is picking up—and for Wisconsin to leave a mark in the middle of that run says quite a bit about their pitch.
At this stage in his recruitment, Thomas is doing what most top quarterbacks do—taking visits, evaluating the respective environments, and getting a feel for which programs might actually feel like home. Thomas is focused on the details: how he’s treated, how the coaches operate, and what kind of fit each place could be both on and off the field. It’s a huge decision.
Before this trip, Thomas didn’t quite know what to expect. The imagery associated with Wisconsin often stops at cornfields and cold weather. But that changed quickly once he got boots on the ground.
“What stood out to me most is definitely the city vibe I got from Madison,” Thomas told BadgerNotes. “I never expected it to be like that. It was a great experience, and I had a great time with the coaching staff and the other recruits at the BBQ."
That’s a theme Wisconsin’s coaching staff has been hammering home with out of state recruits—especially quarterbacks. Show them the culture. Show them the support system the Badgers provide. Show them why it’s different here. And in Thomas’ case, that message landed.
The 6-foot-3 signal-caller, who picked up an offer from Wisconsin in May and already holds offers from programs like Washington State, North Carolina, Kansas, and Hawaii, spent quality time getting to know not just quarterbacks coach Kenny Guiton but the entire Wisconsin staff.
For a first visit, the trip was meaningful.
And it’s not hard to see why schools are jumping in. As a sophomore at Western High School, Thomas threw for 1,736 yards and 17 touchdowns in just seven games—earning second-team all-league honors in the process. That kind of production, paired with his size and athleticism, makes him one of the more intriguing quarterbacks out west in the 2027 class.
“It was great, honestly. Felt like I built a lot of new connections,” Thomas said.