MADISON, WIS. -- Wisconsin's defense continues its preparation for a No. 12 Notre Dame program averaging over 33 points and 400 yards per game.

The twist in their scouting of this particular offense, obviously, lies with one of UW's former starting quarterbacks leading a unit to those marks, all the while holding a 4:1 touchdown pass to interception ratio through three contests.

Jack Coan already has accumulated 800 passing yards and achieved a passer efficiency rating of 155.5 in helping guide Notre Dame to an undefeated 3-0 record in 2021. One former teammate, who sat with him in the quarterback room last year, has seen what the former Badger has accomplished so far with that gold helmet on.

“What made Jack good here is what's making him good there," Chase Wolf told BadgerBlitz.com on Monday morning. "He's a fantastic leader. He's got a good arm. He's very accurate. I think that he's got a lot of confidence, and he's doing what they're asking him to do and more.”

News broke that Coan entered the transfer portal on Dec. 20, 2020, ending his Wisconsin tenure where he played in 25 career games (18 starts). He completed 297-of-437 (68.0%) passes for 3,278 yards and 23 touchdowns to eight interceptions. His big season came as a full-time starter in 2019, where he registered a 69.6% completion percentage on way to 2,727 yards and 18 touchdowns to just five picks.

A right foot injury cut short his intention for a second full year as a starter for Wisconsin. The program announced on Oct. 6, 2020 that surgery was performed, and the New York native would be out "indefinitely." He eventually did not play a snap for Wisconsin last season, and head coach Paul Chryst told reporters on Dec. 21 that the first conversations involving the quarterback's interest in potentially transferring from UW came before the loss at Iowa.

Now in South Bend, Coan emerged as Notre Dame's QB1 and has put up solid numbers. He enters Saturday's contest against Wisconsin (11 a.m. CT, FOX) completing 62.6% of his throws for 828 yards with eight touchdowns to just two interceptions.

Safety Scott Nelson, like Wolf, referenced several of Coan's characteristics on Monday.

“He's always been a very confident quarterback," Nelson said. "He's very knowledgeable. His ability to pick up their scheme didn't surprise me, because I know how smart he is. So I wasn't very surprised when we talked to him, and he said, 'Yeah, like I'm doing pretty good.' I know he would downplay it.

“He's throwing the deep ball very well, and he's just very confident. You can tell he's confident. He's a tough guy. You’ve seen that the past few games, and he's gonna do whatever it takes for his team to win.”

Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard -- when asked if anything looks different from Coan now at Notre Dame in comparison to his time at Wisconsin, and just what the assistant anticipates from him -- complimented the former Badger on his adjustment to the Notre Dame scheme.

“I think you see a lot of similar things, from a concept standpoint, and the throws they are asking him to make," Leonhard said on Monday. "He's always played with a lot of confidence to me and seeing him get through progressions and be aggressive, throwing the ball down the field, he's done a great job in that offense up to this point.

“The thing that I always respected about Jack -- had a good relationship, we talked a lot -- he was a guy who could see it on tape. He was a guy who could talk it and then apply it on the field, and that's what I see.

"Excited for him. He’s just got to have one bad game this year. Outside of that, I wish him all the best.”

Wisconsin will not only have to worry about Coan, obviously, when looking at the Notre Dame offense on Saturday. Running back Kyren Williams poses a challenge both in the run and pass games (211 rushing yards rushing, 155 receiving yards, four total touchdowns), while tight end Michael Mayer leads the team in receptions (17 for 206 yards and three touchdowns).

Leonhard and the defense will also need to prepare for the potential of two players under center (or in the shotgun), as noted by defensive end Matt Henningsen.

“I mean, he's a tough guy. That's what we know," Henningsen said of Coan on Monday. "Obviously, they do a little bit of a two-quarterback system over there. They bring that runner in, No. 12 [Tyler Buchner], and he's a good runner.

"We got to be ready for whatever each of them throws at us, and we know the type of guy that each of them is, and we're just scheming it up so that we can find a way to get to both of the guys that they'll bring in.”

Chryst acknowledged on Monday that taking on a team with Coan in a different uniform is a storyline, but he stressed the fact that two programs are playing against each other.

"I think that, obviously, we have respect for Jack and appreciate who he is as a person and player here and teammate, but it's Wisconsin versus Notre Dame”

Players like Nelson and Wolf have continued to keep in contact with Coan. Coan's father, Mike, tweeted a thank you note in late January to a few Badgers for helping move Jack. The post included a picture of the two Badgers, along with safety Collin Wilder, quarterback Danny Vanden Boom and wide receiver Mike Gregoire sporting "Coan's Landscaping" shirts.

Nelson mentioned the group chats and texts with the former Badger, and he also said that the quarterback is one of his close friends and one of the reasons why the Michigan native chose to head to Wisconsin. The fifth-year safety called out how they hung out at Vanden Boom's wedding earlier this year.

Wolf spoke about the FaceTime conversations with Coan that occur "every once in a while," including recently according to the Cincinnati native.

Nelson stated that he is "not trying to make too much of it where, ‘Oh, yeah, I'm not talking to him this week.'

"He's still one of my good friends, and if I see him before the game, I'll definitely go and give him a hug and talk to him for a second," Nelson said.

From his perspective, Wolf does not believe "it'll be that weird," when he dons the cardinal and white while Coan wears his Notre Dame attire. The fourth-year quarterback feels "pretty good," in his own words, heading into this week about seeing his former teammate.

“I'm excited to see him play. All the guys, we’d come over and watch Jack's games whenever he's on. So it's good to see him like that.

"I hope we get a win. I hope he plays well. But you know, I'm happy I get to see him again because I don't get to see him very often. I wish him the best of luck."