Expert predicts former Purdue DL commitment will transfer to Wisconsin before 2025

Cincinnati, Ohio’s Drayden Pavey announced his withdrawal from Purdue on Saturday and many experts speculate the 2025 three-star defensive lineman could reverse his commitment to Wisconsin.

On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) gives Wisconsin a 94.9% chance of landing a commitment from Pavey. The site’s recruiting director, Chad Simmons, and the vice president of the Recruiting and Transfer Portal, Steve Wiltfong, both predicted on October 18 that he would transfer his commitment to the Badgers. They made those predictions a day before he verbally withdrew from Purdue.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 305 pounds, Pavey took an official visit to Wisconsin on June 14 before ultimately committing to Purdue on July 3. 247Sports ranks him as the nation’s 726th best recruit and the No. 50 player in Ohio. He has other notable offers from Michigan State, Indiana and Cincinnati.

According to Pavey’s personal Hudl highlights, he has 56 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks for Robert Taft High School this season.

If he were indeed to reverse his commitment to Wisconsin, Pavey would be the program’s fourth defensive lineman in the class and would be the second in-state player. According to 247Sports, the Badgers currently have the 28th-ranked recruiting class in the country for 2025.