Wisconsin football secures commitment from 2026 WR Tayshon Bardo
Wisconsin football lands a verbal commitment from 2026 WR Tayshon Bardo, a playmaker from Indiana, after his junior day visit to Madison.
The University of Wisconsin football program has added another piece to its 2026 recruiting class.
On Tuesday, the Badgers secured a verbal commitment from three-star wide receiver Tayshon Bardo following his junior day visit to Madison.
Bardo, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound prospect out of Mishawaka (Ind.), chose the Badgers over scholarship offers from Michigan State, Cincinnati, Louisville, Vanderbilt, South Florida, and Indiana, among others.
He had previously scheduled official visits to multiple programs in the month of June, including Wisconsin. Still, Bardo decided he had seen enough to shut down his recruitment early and lock in his spot with Luke Fickell and the Badgers.
“The connection between me and all of the guys there—they treat me like one of their own," Bardo explained. "And the staff has all been doing that since the day they offered me—that definitely separates them from a lot of other programs.”
Wisconsin initially extended an offer to Bardo in late October, and his familiarity with the program continued to grow through multiple visits—first for a game day experience in November and then again this past weekend for junior day.
The Badgers coaching staff's ability to build strong, personal relationships early in the recruiting process and sell Bardo on the program’s vision ultimately paid off in securing his commitment.
Notably, the transition for Bardo from former wide receivers coach Kenny Guiton—who now coaches the quarterbacks—to Jordan Reid as his lead recruiter was viewed as seamless. Reid picked up where Guiton left off, ensuring Wisconsin stayed in pole position for Bardo throughout the process.
What Tayshon Bardo brings to the table for Wisconsin
Bardo is listed as the No. 653 overall player in the 2026 class, the No. 103 WR, and the No. 6 player in Indiana, per the industry generated 247Sports Composite Rankings.
While speed isn't a defining quality of Bardo's on tape, his 4.49-second 40-yard dash—per his profile on Hudl—combined with his shiftiness makes him a versatile weapon capable of lining up both on the perimeter and as a bigger slot receiver in certain offensive formations.
As a junior, Bardo hauled in 33 catches for 540 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s sure-handed, polished as a route runner, and dangerous after the catch—traits that should fit well into Jeff Grimes’ scheme.
The Badgers are looking for playmakers both in the red zone and in space, and Bardo’s ability to create opportunities with the ball in his hands makes him a nice fit. Overall, Bardo strikes me as a high-floor wideout with some traits that project well at the next level. Solid pickup for this staff.
The recruiting landscape
Bardo becomes the second commitment in Wisconsin’s 2026 class, joining three-star offensive lineman Benjamin Novak.
The Badgers class previously had two commitments before three-star quarterback Jarin Mock and the program parted ways following the staff shakeup, which saw Phil Longo fired and Grimes hired as offensive coordinator.
While it’s too early to project Wisconsin’s final ranking for the 2026 cycle, Luke Fickell and his staff are aiming to sign a third consecutive top-25 class after successful hauls in 2024 and 2025. That said, the Badgers have a lot of ground to make up relative to how far along they were in the cycle a year ago.
Wisconsin has been aggressive in sending out new offers, establishing a clear pecking order on its board, and has a loaded slate of official visits lined up for late May and early June.
This coaching staff isn’t done adding talent at wide receiver in the 2026 class—projecting to take three in this cycle. A few other notable targets include four-star Bubba Frazier (Georgia), Zachary Washington (Illinois), and Owen Cabell (Tennessee)—all of whom have official visits to Wisconsin set for this summer.
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