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2026 defensive line recruit commits to Rutgers, days after cancelling official visit to Wisconsin Badgers

Rutgers swooped in and landed a commitment from the Wisconsin Badgers' defensive line target in just a two week span.

Lorin Cox

Wisconsin offensive lineman Joe Huber (60) blocks Rutgers defensive lineman Wesley Bailey (23) during the second quarter of their game Saturday, October 7, 2023 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
Wisconsin offensive lineman Joe Huber (60) blocks Rutgers defensive lineman Wesley Bailey (23) during the second quarter of their game Saturday, October 7, 2023 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. / Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
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The Wisconsin Badgers had built a "great" relationship with 2026 defensive line recruit Jermaine Polk this spring.

Then in a span of a week, he cancelled his official visit to the school and committed to a different Big Ten program instead.

The three-star recruit Toledo St. Francis de Sales in Ohio had been scheduled for his summer visit to Madison this past weekend.

On June 2, Polk tweeted that he was no longer taking his planned OV. That announcement came just days after Wisconsin landed two other commitments on the defensive line.

The Badgers had been in his Top 5 schools he narrowed down to on May 23, along with Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan State and Boston College.

On Sunday, he committed to Rutgers.

Polk announced an offer from the Scarlet Knights on June 2. The next day, he tweeted he would be taking an official visit to Rutgers this weekend, the same time he had been scheduled to visit Wisconsin.

We don't know for sure whether the Badgers' other defensive line commitments contributed to his change of plans, but Rutgers sure swooped him up in a hurry.

Credit to Greg Schiano. He went from outside of Polk's Top 5 to an offer, a visit and a commitment in about a two week span.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the host of the Locked on Bears podcast and has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2016. He is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus and has written for NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today's Bears Wire. You can follow him on Twitter @CoxSports1.

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