The Wisconsin Badgers have begun to seriously recruit the 2026 class and beyond, which has drawn the star towards an Illinois native.

Messiah Tilson, a three-star athlete in the 2026 class, has become a rising star within the recruiting class despite the odds stacked against him. Tilson is a native of Rockford, Illinois, attends small Guilford High School which only has three registered FBS athletes in the history of the program. One player, Deon Williams, walked onto Purdue, but otherwise, Tilson has the potential to pull in some of the biggest scholarship offers in school history.

The talented athlete stands in at 6-feet-3-inches, and roughly 170-pounds while starring in three sports for his school. Tilson is also an accomplished track runner and a basketball player as well, with qualities of both sports being seen in his play on the football field. When on the football field, Tilson plays both wide receiver and defensive back, with many teams seeing a potential on the defensive side of the football.

Tilson currently has seven scholarship offers, with the Wisconsin Badgers having been the sixth offer the recruit received. Wisconsin safeties coach Alex Grinch is the coach involved with offering Tilson a scholarship, as the Badgers eye using the recruit on defense. Most recently, Tilson received a scholarship from the Kansas Jayhawks but the exact plan for him in the program is unclear.

Missouri and Illinois are two other programs who have been involved and extended offers, however, they are not necessarily the leaders. Tilson stated, “I would say Iowa State, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Minnesota have been showing me the most love.” Minnesota is one of the newest teams involved with Tilson, but also one with a great recent track record of landing defensive backs.

The recruiting process has been “fun” for Tilson so far, but the recruit is most excited about “knowing my name has reached lots of coaches given where I’m from.” The recruit continues to take the process day-by-day as new coaches reach out continuously.

When it comes down to handling the process, Tilson stated, “I’m looking for a good overall program who just produces players to the next level and just a coaching staff I feel comfortable with.”

What Could Messiah Tilson Offer the Wisconsin Badgers, Other Programs?

The Wisconsin Badgers might not be close to commitment from Messiah Tilson yet, but the plans for how the defensive back can be used are already in place.

When the film of Tilson is turned on, a dynamic player on both sides of the football can be seen as the recruit is truly an “athlete” by all definitions of the word. There really is not much that Tilson cannot do, so rather it is important to highlight what the defensive back really excels at doing on the football field. Since Wisconsin seems to have a defensive use for Tilson, his defensive prowess will be the main focus of the breakdown of his abilities.

When Tilson was asked what sets him apart from other plays, the athlete stated, “I feel like what separates me from others is my speed, ability to make a play, and ability to digest a play on defense.”

Tilson is an explosive, incredibly aware player that seemingly understands where the football is going as the quarterback progresses through his reads. At times, it feels like Tilson can read minds with the way he can quickly react to a play and make himself a part of it.

Perhaps the quality that has attracted the Wisconsin Badgers and other programs the most is his willingness to finish out plays. Tilson is consistently found around the football no matter where the play ends, and that is something that Wisconsin wants out of every single defender each play. Both mentally and physically, Tilson already has the makings of a serious Badgers defender, but it is up to the staff to secure that potential in the form of a commitment.

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