Wisconsin Football Extends Three Offers at Saturday Practice

The Badgers hosted multiple 2027 and 2028 prospects during their seventh spring practice.

Apr. 12, 2026 at 3:58pm

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A cubist-style painting depicting a fragmented, geometric representation of a Wisconsin football practice, with abstracted player and coach figures in the school's red and white colors.Wisconsin's early recruiting efforts target the next generation of Midwest football talent.Madison Today

Wisconsin's football team extended scholarship offers to three high school juniors during their Saturday practice session, including a running back, an offensive lineman with football bloodlines, and a top-100 offensive tackle prospect for the 2028 recruiting class.

Why it matters

Extending early offers to top regional prospects is an important part of Wisconsin's recruiting strategy, as the Badgers look to build momentum for their 2027 and 2028 recruiting classes. Landing commitments from in-state talent and building relationships with top Midwest prospects are key priorities for the program.

The details

Wisconsin offered scholarships to Jayden Garrett, a 2028 running back from Illinois, Jace Montgomery, a 2028 offensive lineman from Ohio with family ties to the Badgers, and Darrius Smiley, a highly-ranked 2028 offensive tackle from Missouri. All three prospects have already received multiple Power 5 conference offers.

  • Wisconsin hosted the recruits during their seventh spring practice on Saturday, April 11, 2026.

The players

Jayden Garrett

A 2028 running back prospect from Wilmette, Illinois who has received nine known scholarship offers, including from Power 5 programs like Auburn, Boston College, Colorado, and Purdue.

Jace Montgomery

A 2028 offensive lineman from Cincinnati, Ohio who has offers from Iowa and Vanderbilt in addition to Wisconsin. His father Jerry Montgomery is the defensive line coach for the Cincinnati Bengals and previously coached for the Green Bay Packers.

Darrius Smiley

A 2028 offensive tackle prospect from St. Louis, Missouri who is ranked as the No. 99 overall recruit in his class and the No. 9 offensive tackle. He has offers from several Power 5 programs including Kansas State and Nebraska.

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What they’re saying

“After a great visit @BadgerFootball I am blessed to receive an offer from the University of Wisconsin”

— Jayden Garrett

“After a great conversation with @CoachMateos and @CoachFick. I am blessed to receive an offer from the University of Wisconsin. Go Badgers!!!”

— Jace Montgomery

“After a great spring practice down in Wisconsin and a great conversation with @CoachMateos I'm blessed to receive an offer from the University of Wisconsin”

— Darrius Smiley

What’s next

The three prospects will continue their recruitment process, with Garrett set to compete at the Under Armour All-American Camp in Chicago in May. Wisconsin will look to build on these early offers and continue developing relationships with top Midwest talent for their 2027 and 2028 recruiting classes.

The takeaway

Wisconsin's early offers to these highly-touted 2028 prospects demonstrate the program's commitment to identifying and securing commitments from top regional talent, a key part of the Badgers' recruiting strategy as they aim to maintain their status as one of the Big Ten's premier programs.