Wisconsin football adds cornerback Carsen Eloms to 2026 recruiting class
Wisconsin football lands 2026 cornerback Carsen Eloms from Indiana, adding speed and versatility to the recruiting class.
The Wisconsin football program is starting to build some momentum on the recruiting trail—and the newest addition in the 2026 class checks another important box in the Badgers secondary.
Carsen Eloms, a 6-foot, 175-pound cornerback from Fishers, Indiana, announced his verbal commitment to the Badgers following an unofficial visit to campus this past weekend.
He chose Wisconsin over scholarship offers from Michigan State, Missouri, Purdue, Vanderbilt, and several others.
As it stands, Eloms is currently rated as the No. 815 overall prospect in the 2026 cycle, the No. 73 cornerback, and the No. 8 player in Illinois, according to the industry-generated composite rankings.
Eloms is now the fourth player to join Luke Fickell’s 2026 class, giving Wisconsin its second commitment in as many days. He joins offensive lineman Benjamin Novak, wide receiver Tayshon Bardo, and edge rusher Carmelow Reed in what’s starting to look like a solid starting point.
Recent additions have vaulted Wisconsin up to No. 45 nationally and No. 12 in the Big Ten recruiting rankings—according to the composite—as the Badgers coaching staff prepares for a busy month of June.
What Carsen Eloms brings to the table for Wisconsin
Eloms is a fluid, scheme-versatile athlete with verified track speed at cornerback.
As a junior at Fishers High School, Eloms posted 47 tackles, eight pass deflections, and two interceptions on defense, plus nearly 300 all-purpose yards on offense. He also earned all-state honors in track and field, which checks out once you watch the natural acceleration on film.
What jumps off the tape isn’t just his speed—it’s the body control and reaction time. Eloms sinks his hips naturally, flips quickly, and has the kind of short-area burst that shows up in man coverage.
He’s an instinctive ball tracker in zone coverage and shows flashes of physicality in the run game—though that part of his game will benefit from continued strength development under Brady Collins.
You can tell he’s still growing into his body and needs to add weight, but his ability to line up at either the outside corner or in the nickel gives the Badgers coaching staff some flexibility at a position where reps are essentially wide open moving forward.
A relationship built on consistency and opportunity
Wisconsin had been tracking Eloms for a while—and when the scholarship offer came, it was clear the interest was mutual.
He visited three times, including last fall for the Penn State game and again this weekend when the Badgers staff made their final push during a Spring practice.
“It was really all the love they showed me when I went on the visit,” Eloms said as to why he picked Wisconsin. “They’ve been the most consistent school that’s been reaching out, even before they offered.”
A huge part of this win? Defensive backs coach Paul Haynes, who served as Eloms lead recruiter during this process and landed his first commit in the class.
Haynes has a track record of developing Power 5 cornerbacks, and it’s clear Eloms believes that Madison is the best place for his growth—on and off the field.
“Coach Haynes will be able to develop me the most — not only in terms of football but also as a man,” Eloms added.
And with so many younger players around the country entering the transfer portal in search of greener grass rather than staying and paying their dues, the door is wide open for prospects like Eloms to step in and push for early snaps at Wisconsin. Given his physical tools and versatility, he could very well be one of those guys.
What this means for Wisconsin moving forward
The commitment is another step forward in a territory Wisconsin’s staff has worked hard to mine in recent cycles.
Three of the four commits in this class are from Indiana, continuing a recruiting trend that stretches back to Eugene Hilton Jr. and Nizyi Davis in the 2025 class.
The staff has clearly found something north of Indianapolis—and they’re leaning into it. Now, is it fair to want in-state recruiting to improve? Absolutely.
But, opening up new pipelines like this is just as critical for a staff that wants to capitalize on the Wisconsin brand and push it beyond state borders to build its football program moving forward.
It also addresses a position of need. The Badgers lost multiple defensive backs to the portal over the winter and remain moderately thin in the secondary behind their top guys. For a guy like Eloms, that could mean an early path to the field once he arrives on campus next season.
And for those keeping track of the big picture?
Wisconsin’s recent recruiting success in 2024 and 2025 included back-to-back top-25 classes. If the Badgers want to repeat that feat, they’ll need to stack blue-chip talent and continue to win battles like this one. Eloms might be a three-star for now, but he feels like a stock riser—and a piece that fits the vision Fickell and Haynes are building toward in the back end.
“They ain’t ready for these incoming ’26s,” Eloms said.
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