2026 EDGE Carmelow Reed commits to Wisconsin

Richton Park (Ill.) Rich Township three-star EDGE Carmelow Reed has committed to Wisconsin, he announced on Monday evening.

He chose the Badgers while also holding offers from Michigan State, Ole Miss, Cincinnati, Boston College and others.

Reed is the No. 50 EDGE and No. 16 player in Illinois, according to On3’s 2026 rankings. He is currently unranked in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

The 6-foot-7, 250-pounder was in Madison for a spring visit over the weekend and quickly came off the board. As a junior, he logged 33 tackles and five sacks.

Head coach Luke Fickell and Co. now have three commits in their 2026 class. Reed joins Mishawaka (Ind.) Penn three-star wide receiver Tayshon Bardo and Merrillville (Ind.) Andrean three-star interior offensive lineman Benjamin Novak.

Badgers looking to match top-30 class from last cycle

The 2025 cycle saw Wisconsin sign the nation’s No. 27 class, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. Four blue-chip prospects signed with the Badgers, headlined by Gainesville (Fla.) F.W. Buchholz four-star EDGE Nicolas Clayton.

Clayton saw his stock rise late in the process and finished as the No. 179 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking. Other top signees include: Albuquerque (N.M.) La Cueva four-star linebacker Mason Posa, Palatine (Ill.) four-star defensive lineman Jaylen Williams and West Roxbury (Mass.) Dexter School four-star interior offensive lineman Hardy Watts.

Fort Myers (Fla.) Bishop Verot three-star quarterback Carter Smith was a former Michigan commit but found his way to Madison toward the end of the cycle. He finished as the nation’s No. 27 signal-caller.

“The staff was able to squeeze in everything we wanted to see in this very short window, can’t say enough about them,” Smith’s father Dan told On3. “We had a great conversation with Coach Fickell.”

The class also features Zionsville (Ind.) three-star WR Eugene Hilton Jr., the son of former NFL WR T.Y. Hilton. He was a top-10 player in the Hoosier State last cycle.

“Big takeaways is the direction they want to go with the program,” Hilton told On3 following his pledge. “You know what their core values are. Another big takeaway is getting to be around and get to know all the coaches and players and see the environment.”