Wisconsin football extends offer to promising class of 2026 tight end

Wisconsin football extended an offer to promising class of 2026 tight end Lincoln Watkins on Friday.

Watkins’ offer arrives on the same day he took an unofficial visit to Madison.

The 6-foot-4, 221-pound TE represents Port Huron Northern High School in Fort Gratiot, Michigan. 247Sports ranks Watkins as the nation’s No. 368 overall recruit, No. 20 tight end and No. 6 prospect from his home state of Michigan for the class of 2026.

Despite his age and stage in the recruiting process, Watkins has already amassed a laundry list of offers from NCAA Division I programs. The most notable include Oregon, Penn State, Miami (Florida), Purdue, Minnesota, Illinois, Maryland, Louisville, Arizona State and Wisconsin.

Including the rising junior, the Badgers have offered 17 tight ends so far with the main priorities being fellow top-100 four-star recruits Brock Harris and Ian Premier.

Rivals’ FutureCast projects Watkins to land at Pittsburgh while On3’s recruiting prediction machine forecasts him joining the Purdue Boilermakers.

Watkins would serve as a solid resource for UW’s offense down the line. Even though he’s only listed as a three-star recruit, his offers suggest otherwise. He could certainly blossom into a four-star as a senior.

In terms of its most recent class, the Badgers have secured commitments from 22 class of 2025 players, vaulting them to No. 22 in 247sports’ national rankings.