Wisconsin offers top in-state recruit, former Northern Iowa signee
Wisconsin basketball extended an offer to top in-state class of 2026 small forward Zavier Zens earlier this week. Zens previously signed with Northern Iowa. However, he recently requested a release from his NLI after head coach Ben Jacobson left for the Utah State opening.
Wisconsin, Illinois and Utah State have all extended offers since that point, according to the Journal Sentinel's Zac Bellman. 247Sports currently lists Zens as a three-star recruit. The 6-foot-7 small forward is specifically ranked as the No.
236 player in the class, the No. 39 power forward and the No. 3 player from Wisconsin.
In addition to the Badgers ' offer, Bellman reports that Zens has also scheduled a visit to the program for mid-April. Wisconsin's class of 2026 currently has two players signed: in-state small forward LaTrevion Fenderson and international shooting guard Jackson Ball. The program is now in strong pursuit of Zens, looking to make a late-cycle splash before the class arrives on campus.
Wisconsin Lutheran's Zavier Zens is reporting offers from Illinois, Wisconsin and Utah State, per his Instagram. Utah State is the new home of former Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson, whose departure spurred Zens' request to be released from his NLI with UNI. — Zac Bellman Ⓜ️ (@ZacBellman_WNY) April 2, 2026 Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball Zavier Zens recruiting offer, scheduled visit