Wisconsin in a battle with Ohio State and others for top 2026 safety

The class of 2026 is starting to narrow down their lists and choose their schools as the offseason has hit it’s full swing. Luke Fickell has been chasing some big names, and in some of those cases, the player has eliminated Wisconsin as they’ve whittled the list down; in other cases, Wisconsin still has a good fighting chance. The latest update from Hayes Fawcett about a top target for the Badgers in the 2026 class is Kaden Gebhart, one of the best safeties in the class.

Wisconsin is among the final four for Kaden Gebhardt alongside Ohio State, Clemson, and Penn State

Gebhart is a 4-star recruit and No. 17 safety in the country per 24/7 in the 2026 class. He hails out of Lewis Center, Ohio where he plays for Olentangy High School. He holds 30 college offers from the top programs in the country. It’s huge for Wisconsin to continue to push for this coveted recruit.

According to 24/7 Sports, Alex Grinch has been the main contact between Gebhardt and the Wisconsin Badgers and has made Gebhardt the priority for the secondary in this class. As of right now, it doesn’t seem like any of the four schools have an inside track. If one were to speculate, you’d think the Ohio State Buckeyes would hold an edge with the in-state product, but nothing has been reported along those lines. Wisconsin could swoop in and make him a Badger.

As of now, the Wisconsin Badgers only have one hard commit in the class of 2026, and that’s offensive lineman Benjamin Novak. He is a three-star player from Indiana and has been committed to the Badgers since early October. Luke Fickell and staff are looking for another big splash this winter to kickstart the class and get the ball rolling for many more recruits to jump in the fold.

Clip Of Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka Spotting Flaw That Led To Huge Play In National Championship Should Make His Draft Stock Skyrocket

Jeremiah Smith was primarily responsible for the catch that essentially sealed Ohio State’s victory over Notre Dame in the national championship game. However, Emeka Egbuka deserves a huge chunk of the credit for pointing out the liability the Buckeyes were able to exploit on one of the biggest plays of the game.

Notre Dame was firmly outplayed by Ohio State for the bulk of their title showdown in Atlanta earlier this month, but the Fighting Irish were able to narrow their deficit to eight points with a little over four minutes to go in the fourth quarter with the touchdown that made the score 31-23.

They obviously needed to prevent the Buckeyes from scoring on the ensuing possession, and it seemed like there was a chance they’d end up getting the ball back when Ohio State found itself facing a 3rd-and-11 from their own 34-yard line.

However, Jeremiah Smith basically drove the nail into the coffin after hauling in a 56-yard pass from Will Howard to give their team a fresh set of downs and set them up for the field goal that put the game out of reach after the WR torched Notre Dame CB Christian Gray with the help of some deceptive footwork.