Wisconsin Extends Offer to Highly Ranked 2026 Defensive Lineman King Liggins: A Milestone in Badgers’ Upcoming Recruiting Efforts

Wisconsin football recently extended an offer to three-star class of 2026 defensive lineman King Liggins, making him the third 2026 defensive lineman to be offered by the Badgers since late May. This marks a significant milestone in Wisconsin’s recruiting efforts for the upcoming season.

Liggins hails from Brother Rice High School in Illinois and is ranked as the No. 40 defensive lineman and the No. 10 recruit from Illinois in the class of 2026 by 247Sports. He currently holds 11 offers, including ones from Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Kansas State, Iowa State, and Miami. Although there is no crystal ball prediction yet from 247Sports, On3’s recruiting prediction machine favors Kansas State as the likely destination for Liggins.

While Wisconsin is focusing more on recruiting for the class of 2026, Rivals ranks their 2025 recruiting class as the sixth-best in the nation, with 19 commitments so far. Some of Wisconsin’s main defensive priorities for the 2025 class include DL recruits Drayden Pavey, Wilnerson Telemaque, and Kyler Garcia. Despite offering 11 defensive linemen for 2026, the Badgers have yet to receive a commitment. The current defensive line depth chart for Wisconsin includes James Thompson Jr., Curt Neal, Ben Barten, Elijah Hills (transfer), and Brandon Lane (a flipped transfer commit from Louisville).

It is clear that Wisconsin is actively recruiting for the future while still maintaining a strong presence in the current recruiting landscape. With Liggins being one of their top priorities for their next recruiting cycle, it will be interesting to see how this year’s efforts unfold on both fronts.