Wisconsin football is set for a matchup against a rising FCS program, South Dakota, on Saturday. The Badgers are looking to start the year perfect and improve from a mediocre performance last week against Western Michigan.
UW will have a handful of visitors to take in Saturday afternoon's game, with some high-profile 2026 prospects and several 2025 commits set to make their way to Madison.
Here's a look at who will be in attendance for week two's matchup.
Wisconsin Football Visitors: 2026 Prospects
DL Braeden Jones
One of the premier defensive linemen in the 2026 class, Jones is rated as a four-star, top-150 prospect who has already fielded 24 total offers, with his most recent coming from Ohio State and Michigan. The Illinois native attends Mount Caramel in Chicago, where Badgers freshman running back Darrion Dupree played during his prep years.
ATH Nasir Rankin
Wisconsin offered Rankin in June, becoming the ninth school to do so. The Illinois native is ranked as the No. 332 player in the country and the No. 21 ATH per the composite rankings. It's also worth noting that Rankin is a teammate of 2025 commit Jahmare Washington at Morgan Park High School.
EDGE Evan Harvey
Wisconsin jumped into the mix early for the three-star EDGE rusher, becoming the fourth school to offer him in May. Harvey's recruitment has picked up some steam as of late, with recent offers from Miami, Mississippi State, Louisville, UCF, and Maryland.
LB Tyler Heinle
Heinle, a Grafton, Wisconsin native, is one of two in-state visitors this weekend. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound linebacker took home First-Team All-Conference honors a season ago after logging 92 tackles, 14 TFLs, four forced fumbles, and a sack. He holds just one offer from Michigan State, but UW may jump into the mix soon.
ATH Lamont Hamilton
Hamilton camped with the Badgers this summer and will make his way back to Madison to take in Saturday's action. The Racine native plays both wide receiver and cornerback at St. Catherine's High School.
Wisconsin Football Visitors: 2025 Commits
OL Michael Roeske
Roeske was an early addition to Wisconsin's 2025 class, announcing his commitment in November of 2023. The Wautoma native chose UW over Michigan, Notre Dame, Illinois, Syracuse, Kansas, Minnesota, and Indiana.
LB Cooper Catalano
Catalano was the second in-state addition in the 2025 class, committing just two weeks after Michael Roeske. The Germantown High School standout is rated as the No. 7 player in Wisconsin and the No. 86 LB in the nation.
DL Torin Pettaway
Pettaway was the Badgers first defensive line commit in the 2025 cycle before flipping to Minnesota, but he inevitably flipped back to UW three months later. The Middleton High School standout is rated as the No. 5 player in the state and the No. 71 DL in the 2025 class.
LB Brenden Anes
Anes committed to UW in January, choosing the Badgers over Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Memphis, Wake Forest, Liberty, and others. Clemson also began to show interest before his commitment.
ATH Grant Dean
In-state athlete Grant Dean committed to Wisconsin in April. He began receiving Division One attention in March, but UW was able to shut his recruitment down quickly after extending an offer during a spring practice visit. The Neenah High School standout has experience playing both running back and safety, but he projects as a defensive back at the next level.
ATH Luke Emmerich
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound athlete chose the Badgers over offers from USC, Washington, Utah, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas State, and others.
Emmerich has experience playing at safety and wide receiver but was sidelined in his junior year due to injury. He projects as a defensive back at the next level with the versatility and athleticism UW is looking for.
K/P Erik Schmidt
The in-state specialist committed to Wisconsin back in June. According to Kohl's Kicking , Schmidt is ranked as the No. 1 punter and the No. 26 kicker in the country.
Related: Wisconsin Football Week 2 Opponent Preview: South Dakota
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