Class of 2026 wide receiver Brody Schaffer, a Winneconne, Wisconsin, native, committed to Iowa on Wednesday. He chose the Hawkeyes over other Football Bowl Subdivision offers from Northwestern and Washington State.
According to 247Sports, Wisconsin has yet to offer the in-state wideout. He was set for unofficial visits to Northwestern (March 8), Wisconsin (March 15) and Iowa (March 29). His commitment to the Hawkeyes is likely to change those plans.
247Sports currently ranks Schaffer as a three-star recruit, the No. 767 player in the class of 2026, the No. 122 wide receiver and the No. 3 player from the state of Wisconsin. According to the recruiting service, his lead recruiter was Iowa wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr, a former Wisconsin quarterback (2009-11) and assistant coach (2015-20).
Schaffer’s commitment to the Big Ten rival Hawkeyes continues a recent trend of Wisconsin in-state players committing elsewhere. Most recently, top 2026 in-state prospect Sam Simpson (River Falls) pledged to Indiana last month. That follows the Badgers only landing the state’s No. 4 and No. 5-ranked prospects in the 2025 cycle, with each of the top two committing to Notre Dame and the No. 3-ranked recruit pledging to Tennessee.
It’s worth noting that the state does not have a four-star recruit in the 2026 cycle. Simpson, its highest-ranked player, is only the No. 577 player in the class.
Still, Wisconsin has not succeeded in locking down the state during the last few recruiting cycles. That is even the case dating back to 2022, Paul Chryst’s last full recruiting class. That dynamic remains one to watch as the 2026 cycle continues.
Wisconsin will get a firsthand look at Schaffer’s performance during its annual rivalry matchup against Iowa. The Hawkeyes have won three straight over the Badgers and four of the last five. As Luke Fickell works to build his Wisconsin program, success in the battle for the Heartland Trophy is paramount.
The Badgers’ class of 2026 still has just one player committed — three-star offensive lineman Benjamin Novak. The program’s efforts in the cycle are beginning to heat up with the summer months fast approaching.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin football recruiting class of 2026 Brody Schaffer Iowa commit
