Mekhi Williams becomes highest rated Badgers DB commit in last quarter century

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The Wisconsin Badgers won one of their biggest recruiting battles in recent memory when four-star Florida defensive back Mekhi Williams committed to the program on Wednesday afternoon.

Williams, a 6’2, 165-pound cornerback, was deciding between Wisconsin, LSU, and Nebraska, with the Tigers also pushing hard for the four-star down the stretch. Ultimately, following a strong official visit last weekend, Williams decided to end his recruitment early before visits to LSU and Nebraska, and ultimately committed to Wisconsin.

To put into perspective the magnitude of his recruitment, Williams is Wisconsin’s highest-rated defensive back recruit since the Class of 2001, and one of the highest-rated Badgers’ commits of all time, sitting at No. 35 according to 247Sports.

Simply, the Badgers don’t often get elite-level defensive back talent, and especially not from the talent-rich state of Florida. Given the contenders in play (Florida State, LSU, Nebraska), this was a major recruiting win for Luke Fickell and his staff.

Williams’s commitment has only added to the impressiveness of Wisconsin’s closing to start official visits. The Badgers were able to shut down the recruitment of four-star wide receiver Jai Jones on his first visit to Madison, securing their first wideout in the class. They also closed on three-star cornerback Royalton Allen and three-star linebacker Nathan Jones during the first weekend before Williams’s commitment on Wednesday.

Wisconsin went into the weekend with six uncommitted targets visiting campus. They now have four of those in the fold, with the other two, three-star wideout Tavares Powell and three-star edge rusher Darin Graham, both viewing the Badgers still in high regard. At those two positions, the Badgers can afford to be picky, as they have other targets there coming in for visits this weekend.

Wisconsin’s class continues to surge up the rankings with every commitment, and they now have their highest-ranked player in the fold for 2027.

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