BREAKING: Blue-chip RB Amari Latimer flips to West Virginia

The Wisconsin Badgers got a huge blow to their 2026 recruiting class, as blue-chip four-star running back Amari Latimer has flipped to the West Virginia Mountaineers on National Signing Day.

Latimer, a native of Georgia, was Wisconsin’s biggest get during the summer, as they fended off several major programs for the four-star running back, with his brother, Geimere Latimer, on the roster as well.

However, it was clear that this recruitment was going to be a battle, as several teams still continued their pursuit of Latimer, who had taken visits in the Fall. Heading into Wednesday, the Miami Hurricanes were seen as a clear threat to Wisconsin.

But, it was West Virginia at the end who emerged as the major competition, and the Mountaineers got the job done in a huge recruiting class of theirs, which now includes 43 commitments.

For the Badgers, it comes as a blow as they had Latimer atop their board for much of the 2026 cycle, prioritizing him and clearing their board at the position to go after the four-star.

Wisconsin does have talented three-star running back Qwantavius Wiggins in its 2026 class. The Georgia native signed his National Letter of Intent (NLI) on Wednesday and is certainly a candidate for early playing time.

With Latimer’s decommitment, Wisconsin now has 12 signees in its 2026 class. We’ll see if they add one more in the next day or two.