Wisconsin Secures Commitment From Versatile DB Zachary Taylor
After over a week without an addition to its 2026 class, the Wisconsin football team got back on the board with the commitment of 3-star defensive back Zachary Taylor (Katy, Texas).
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Pulling Taylor out of Texas wasn't going to be easy, but he took an official visit to Wisconsin at the start of the month, and the Badgers took advantage of his time in Madison.
Beyond Wisconsin, Taylor's official visits included West Virginia, Texas Tech, Pitt, and Houston. He ultimately chose the Badgers over the other four programs.
The newest Wisconsin commit announced his pledge to the Badgers via his social media.
With a background as a multi-sport athlete that includes track and soccer, Taylor's athleticism has the Wisconsin football staff extremely excited, and they anticipate he'll develop into a standout player.
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He is a versatile player who has played both cornerback and safety in high school. Although he is listed as a cornerback on 247Sports, the Wisconsin staff views him as a safety.
Zachary Taylor in the Recruiting Rankings
Though currently rated as a 3-star prospect by major recruiting services, Taylor is a perfect example of the type of player whose ranking could significantly improve, possibly reaching 4-star status by the end of his senior year. But as of right now, here is where he falls on the major recruiting websites.
247Sports
247Sports probably has the highest rating on Taylor, albeit as a cornerback. But a rating of 89 is a borderline 4-star player on its rating scale. The 247Sports Composite has him as the 439th-overall player in the country and the 43rd-ranked cornerback.
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Rivals
Similar to 247Sports, Rivals has Taylor as a borderline 4-star player. Their 5.7 rating for the new Wisconsin football commit is the highest rating a 3-star prospect can get before hitting 5.8, which would give him a fourth star.
The recruiting site does not have him in any national, state, or positional rankings.
On3
On3 is the site lowest on Taylor. They have him as a 3-star prospect as well and a rating of just 85.95. 3-star prospects fall in the 80-89 range. They have him as the 926th-overall prospect in the 2026 class and the 83rd-ranked safety.
Where the Wisconsin Football Recruiting Class Stands With the Addition of Taylor
Zachary Taylor's commitment pushed the 2026 class to 12 players for the Wisconsin football program. The addition of Taylor gives the Badgers a nice little boost, pushing them from 40th to 33rd in the 247Sports Team Rankings as it currently stands.
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Taylor also becomes the Bagders' top-ranked player in the class according to the 247Sports rankings.
With just 12 committed players, the Wisconsin football team still has plenty of work to do in filling out the rest of this class. 4-star running back Amari Latimer is a top target for the team, and there are still a few targets at wide receiver, including Jayden Petit, Zachary Washington, and Zion Legree.
Recruiting may have slowed down a bit, but there are still things coming in the near future.
Related: 2028 QB JJ Chapman Talks Wisconsin Camp, Recruitment
Stay in the loop with all things Wisconsin Badgers football and men's basketball by visiting AllBadgers.com for more updates.
Ready to join the community? Follow Athlon Sports on YouTube, Facebook, and X to join in on the conversation.
You can also follow Staff Writer Christian Borman at @ChristianBorman on X.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
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