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Eli Lederman, ESPN Staff Writer
Wisconsin secured a commitment from the nation’s top uncommitted quarterback prospect Sunday afternoon with a pledge from four-star passer Carter Smith, No. 155 in the ESPN 300.
Smith, ESPN’s No. 3 dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2025, committed to the Badgers eight days after taking an official visit to Wisconsin during the program’s 16-13 loss to No. 1 Oregon on Nov. 16. With his pledge, Smith becomes the highest rated member of the Badgers’ 2025 class.
The passer from Fort Myers, Florida, also held late-cycle interest from Florida State before the Seminoles flipped former Oklahoma quarterback commit Kevin Sperry earlier this week.
Initially committed to Michigan in November 2023, Smith spent nearly a year in the program’s 2025 class before pulling his pledge late last month amid the Wolverines’ pursuit of top overall prospect Bryce Underwood, who flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan on Thursday.
“He felt extremely disappointed in how they handled everything,” Smith’s father told ESPN earlier this month.
Upon reopening his recruitment Oct. 30, Smith received interest from nearly two dozen programs, including Penn State, Clemson, Illinois, Cal and Virginia Tech. Smith spent the weekend at Wisconsin in Week 12, identifying many of the same blue-collar qualities that previously drew him to Michigan in Luke Fickell’s Badgers program.
A three-year starter at Florida’s Bishop Verot High School, Smith was named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year following his junior season last fall when he threw for 2,223 yards and 29 touchdowns with four interceptions, adding another 19 scores on the ground.
Smith is now the 25th pledge in Wisconsin’s incoming recruiting class, which ranks No. 31 in ESPN’s latest team class rankings for the 2025 cycle. He joins fellow ESPN 300 prospect Mason Posa, a four-star inside linebacker from Albuquerque, New Mexico, among the top-300 prospects set to sign with the Badgers when the early signing period opens Dec. 4.
Wisconsin fell to 5-6 on Saturday with a 44-25 loss to Nebraska and will host rival Minnesota next weekend with bowl eligibility on the line.