Wisconsin Football to ‘Keep Pushing Forward’ Despite Decommitments

Luke Fickell and the University of Wisconsin football program had a week to forget on the recruiting trail for the 2025 class. 

First, Middleton defensive end Torin Pettaway abruptly flipped his commitment to Minnesota. Then, Badgers three-star safety Cody Haddad de-committed from Wisconsin after visiting Ohio State because he “wants to see what other schools have to offer.” 

It’s worth mentioning that a Buckeyes recruiting insider placed a crystal ball prediction for Haddad to land with Ohio State. 

These somewhat unexpected commitment shifts have left the Wisconsin football team with a few spots to fill, reducing the Badgers’ total verbal commitments for the 2025 class to seven. Despite this dip, the recruiting class is still rated No. 13 in the country, according to the composite.

“It’s unfortunately a little bit of what high school is right now,” Fickell told reporters. “I mean, everything is happening faster, so guys commit earlier, and then all of a sudden, they recognize that maybe there’s something else out there. I think it comes down to guidance.

“It can cause you a lot of sleepless nights, but I know this, that we’ll end up with the right ones. …You’ve just got to keep pushing forward.”

Some Thoughts on Wisconsin Football Recruiting 

While it’s disappointing that the Wisconsin football program lost two commits for the 2025 class, it’s essential to remember that no recruit is irreplaceable, no matter how talented. There’s plenty of time to find suitable replacements who are the proper schematic fits for the Badgers.

Further, Luke Fickell and his staff have proven to be more than capable as recruiters. Last season, Wisconsin finished with the No. 23 recruiting class nationally, their second-highest finish in the internet rankings era.

The Badgers also achieved the coveted 50% blue-chip ratio among 2024 commits. Never before has Wisconsin football secured 11 blue-chip recruits in a single class, nor had they achieved a 50% ratio among their commits since recruiting rankings started getting tracked. In short, I have no shortage of reasons to believe in this staff’s ability to identify and replace talent.

For those wondering why that blue-chip ratio matters, the importance lies in its correlation with national championship contention.

No program with a composite talent ranking boasting a 50% blue-chip ratio has ever won a National Championship. While some teams without this percentage have come close, nobody has ever broken through — meaning Wisconsin has plenty of ground to make up — but they’re on the right track.

Fickell has already landed a few impact recruits in the Wisconsin football team’s 2025 class, and by the end of June, I’d imagine the concern about losing two players will have fallen by the wayside.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read our work at BadgerNotes.com. For more Wisconsin Badgers Athletics and Big Ten content, follow us on Twitter & Facebook. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher @DillonGraff at Dillon.T.Graff@gmail.com. 

Also, be sure to check out our shop, subscribe to our newsletter, and listen to the BadgerNotes After Dark podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. Because of your support, we have become one of the fastest-growing independent media outlets focused on giving a voice to the fans!