Three-star receiver Tayshon Bardo, who plays for Mishawaka Penn in Indiana, announced his commitment to Wisconsin via On3.

The wideout is listed at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, per his Hudl profile, and also boasts a 4.49 40-yard dash. Bardo caught 33 passes for 540 yards receiving and eight touchdowns as a junior, according to MaxPreps.

Bardo’s Instagram account lists 17 offers, including some from Power four programs like Louisville, Vanderbilt, Indiana, Cincinnati, Wisconsin and Michigan State. He had previously announced official visits to South Florida (June 13-15), Michigan State (June 20-22) and Wisconsin (June 5-8).

Here are three takeaways from Bardo’s commitment, the second of the 2026 class for the Badgers. 

The Badgers already had one Hoosier State recruit — three-star offensive lineman Benjamin Novak (Merrillville Andrean) — as part of their 2026 class, but Bardo doubled that total. 

Bardo’s commitment continues a trend for Wisconsin, which has landed several prep talents from Indiana of late. 

The Badgers signed two Indiana products, four-star wide receiver Eugene Hilton Jr. and three-star tight end Nizyi Davis, during the December early signing period as part of their 2025 class. 

Wisconsin is still targeting the state for the 2026 class; it hosted two Greenwood Center Grove recruits (three-star tight end Dominick Barry and defensive lineman Kobe Cherry) as well as Franklin defensive lineman Blake Smythe for its March 8 junior day event.

Wisconsin may need to replace several receivers after this coming season, whether that’s through players exhausting their eligibility or entering the transfer portal. 

Ohio State transfer Jayden Ballard is in his fifth year, and seniors Vinny Anthony II and Tyrell Henry enter their fourth in the program. There’s also three other redshirt junior scholarship receivers — Quincy Burroughs, Chris Brooks Jr. and Joseph Griffin Jr. — on the roster.

Other 2026 receiver targets for Wisconsin include four-star recruit Bubba Frazier (Savannah Benedictine Military, Georgia); Zachary Washington (Wheaton St. Francis, Illinois); and Owen Cabell (Nashville Christ Presbyterian, Tennessee). All three have scheduled official visits for this summer.

With the shift from former offensive coordinator Phil Longo’s Air Raid offense, it’ll be worth watching just how many wide receivers will be targeted in the upcoming recruiting cycle. 

The Badgers have hosted at least two junior day events in the three seasons since coach Luke Fickell took over, and those have led to numerous commitments thereafter.

Wisconsin’s strategy with these unofficial visits is to target a smaller group of recruits for each, rather than inviting 30 or 40 recruits into town all at once. In turn, the smaller group receive information about the team and a more intimate experience.

The Badgers signed 22 scholarship players as part of its 2024 cycle, and eight took junior day visits before announcing their commitments to the program: wide receiver Kyan Berry-Johnson, tight ends Rob Booker II and Grant Stec, offensive linemen Colin Cubberly and Derek Jensen, running back Darrion Dupree, and linebackers Landon Gauthier and Thomas Heiberger.

There were six 2025 scholarship signees — linebacker Cooper Catalano, outside linebackers Samuel Lateju and Jaylen Williams, cornerbacks Jai’mier Scott and Jahmare Washington, and defensive lineman Torin Pettaway — who attended one junior day event in either 2023 or 2024 before committing to the Badgers.

That total could have been more if not for later decommitments from projected safety Cody Haddad (who eventually signed with Ohio State) and linebacker Brenden Anes (Tennessee).