An aerial view of the Kohl Center on the campus of UW-Madison
An aerial view of Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., home of the Wisconsin Badgers.
MADISON – The latest player to commit to the Wisconsin football program epitomizes coach Luke Fickell’s push to add bigger players to the defense.
Carmelow Reed, a 6-foot-7, 250-pound outside linebacker from Rich Township High School in Olympia Fields, Illinois, announced his commitment to the Badgers on Monday evening. He is the third known player to commit to Wisconsin’s 2026 class and the first defender.
Reed is considered a three-star prospect by Rivals and 247sports.
He shared news of his commitment with a post on X.
Interest in Reed took off during the past couple of months. Since Jan. 31, he has announced 16 Division I offers on X. The most recent offers from Missouri, LSU, Minnesota and Ole Miss.
The Badgers were the first Power 4 program to offer a scholarship. He announced UW’s offer Feb. 4.
According to his Hudl profile, Reed made five sacks and 12 tackles for a loss last season.
He joins Ben Novak, an offensive lineman from Merrillville, Indiana, and Tayshon Bardo, a receiver from Mishawaka, Indiana, in the Badgers’ 2026 recruiting class.
