The University of Wisconsin football program finds itself in a unique position at quarterback heading into winter workouts and spring practice.
With only three scholarship players in the room following significant offseason turnover, the Badgers coaching staff is weighing whether to bring in an additional quarterback to bolster its depth.
Maryland transfer Billy Edwards Jr. is penciled in as the starter after being a priority target for head coach Luke Fickell and offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes in the portal this offseason.
Edwards, who threw for 2,881 yards, 15 touchdowns, and nine interceptions last season with the Terrapins, brings experience, mobility, and some quality arm talent to Wisconsin’s new-look offense.
“There were a number of things that impressed me with his film,” Grimes said. “I saw a guy that had toughness, that was able to stand in there and take a lot of hits and not impact how he played the game.
“I thought he had arm talent, I thought he had good athletic ability, I like his size. So it was just really kind of a combination of all those things.”
Grimes and quarterbacks coach Kenny Guiton are hoping to maximize Edwards’ abilities by surrounding him with improved pass protection, a run game led by Darrion Dupree and Dilin Jones, in addition to an array of pass-catchers like Vinny Anthony, Trech Kekahuna, and Tanner Koziol.
Wisconsin Badgers head football coach Luke Fickell
Wisconsin Badgers head football coach Luke Fickell standing on the sidelines
Behind Edwards is San Diego State transfer Danny O’Neil, who has three years of eligibility remaining. O’Neil started 11 games for the Aztecs last season and is viewed as both an experienced backup and a potential long-term option. In the portal era, having a backup with starting experience has become a luxury most teams can no longer afford.
Rounding out the room is true freshman Carter Smith, a four-star dual-threat quarterback with significant upside but will need time to develop.
Still, given the departures of five quarterbacks since Phil Longo’s dismissal—including Tyler Van Dyke, Braedyn Locke, and Mabrey Mettauer—Wisconsin’s depth at the position leaves a razor-thin margin for error should they get hit with the injury bug.
And if history is any indicator, standing pat and not adding another player could spell trouble for the Badgers, who have needed their backup quarterback to play meaningful snaps in all but two of the last 13 seasons—2017 and 2019 being the lone exceptions.
Walk-on signal caller Milos Spasojevic, who served as the QB3 for much of last season due to injuries, is still in the mix, and the staff sees potential. Even so, adding another scholarship quarterback is very much on the table.
“We’ll see,” Guiton said when asked about the idea. “We’re all kind of talking about that right now. Obviously, we’ve got Milo as well, and we think that he’s a pretty good player that can keep progressing along and developing as well. So, we’ll see.
“It’s definitely a conversation that’s around the building right now.”
Whether through the transfer portal during the spring window or sticking with their current roster after on-field evaluations, the Badgers are carefully weighing their options to solidify the quarterback position.
However, it could be a tough sell for Wisconsin, with the starting job accounted for, a backup with starting experience and three years of eligibility remaining behind him, and a highly regarded freshman quarterback already in the fold as another potential long-term solution.
Where would that leave any incoming player? Time will tell, but it’s a decision the staff won’t be able to take lightly.
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