Wisconsin Football Fending Off Big Ten Programs for Badgers Commit

Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers football program appear to have found a diamond in the rough on the recruiting trail. 

Following a junior day visit to Madison, the Wisconsin Badgers were able to close out the recruitment of three-star safety Cody Haddad out of St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio. 

At the time of Haddad’s verbal commitment to the Badgers, he held scholarship offers from Duke, Boston College, Nebraska, Cincinnati, Kansas, Liberty, Nebraska, Kent State, and Purdue.

#JumpAroundMadTown #OnWisconsin @CoachFick @CoachHitsch @CoachMikeTress @_maximus347 @PatLambert13 @WisFBRecruiting @BadgerFootball @SIHSSports @WildcatRecruit pic.twitter.com/JVOiKDeFQT

— Cody Haddad (@cody_haddad) January 18, 2024

But the talented safety has seen a significant uptick in interest since he gave his pledge to Wisconsin football, who will now have to fend off a number of Big Ten programs to keep Haddad in the fold. 

Wisconsin Football Must Fend off Big Ten Schools for Cody Haddad

The Wisconsin football recruiting department quickly evaluated and found a high-upside safety flying under the radar in Cody Haddad.

According to the composite recruiting rankings, Haddad is the No. 31 athlete in the 2025 class and the No. 15 ranked player in Ohio. If I were a betting man (and I am), Haddad would be a four-star when the recruiting rankings are finalized.

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound safety missed the bulk of his junior season with a broken arm but returned for the final four games and finished with 42 tackles, forced three fumbles, and intercepted four passes.

Given the limited film, several programs likely felt they had more time to slow-play Haddad. However, his commitment to the Wisconsin Badgers set off a chain reaction of Big Ten schools sending out scholarship offers in an effort to try and flip Haddad.

The programs that have sent out offers are Ohio State, Michigan State, Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Of that group, the only offer that makes me nervous is the Buckeyes, considering it’s his home state.

Also worth noting is that Haddad took multiple unofficial visits to OSU this past season, once in September and again in mid-November.

It feels like the Ohio native is firmly locked in with the Wisconsin football program, but recruiting never sleeps, and there is no shortage of suitors who would like to try to pry Haddad away from the Badgers.

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