INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Tanner Mordecai says he does not pay attention to what is said or written about him in the media.
If that's the case, he did not miss anything new this offseason.
When the sixth-year senior quarterback transferred to Wisconsin from Southern Methodist University in the offseason, he already knew the storyline people would be talking about.
Can he replicate the success he had in the American Athletic Conference against stiffer competition in the Big Ten?
That, after all, was the main reason he entered the transfer portal, a decision he made after receiving feedback from NFL talent evaluators as he mulled entering the 2023 draft.
"I loved my time at SMU," he said at Big Ten Media Days. "I love the guys there and the coaching staff. They are great guys.
"I got some feedback from some scouts and coaches that I wasn’t fired up about. I didn’t think there was a whole lot left for me to accomplish at SMU."
After beginning his collegiate career at Oklahoma — he was teammates with NFL quarterbacks Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts — Mordecai transferred to SMU and quickly made a name for himself.
Over 24 games for the Mustangs, Mordecai completed 66.8% of his passes for 7,152 yards (third in program history) with 72 touchdowns (first in program history) to 22 interceptions. He threw for more than 300 yards in 13 games (also a program record) and was twice a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award, presented annually to the nation’s best quarterback.
Yet there seem to be plenty of skeptics despite that resume. Various rankings of transfer quarterbacks this offseason had Mordecai behind inexperienced signal callers, and early 2024 NFL Draft previews generally haven’t included him.
Where must Mordecai improve for his standing to change? When asked about his areas of focus on Thursday, he reiterated what he has been saying since the spring.
"I just want to produce like I did at SMU for two years," he said. "I want to produce (like that) at Wisconsin. I am going to give everything I have to the program and my teammates.
"For myself, I want to execute at a higher level and be more consistent. If we accomplish the things that we want to as a team, my aspirations for myself will take care of itself when we accomplish what we want to accomplish."
Wisconsin checked all of the boxes for Mordecai, who admired new UW head coach Luke Fickell from afar. He played against Fickell's Cincinnati Bearcats in 2021 and 2022.
Mordecai also had a prior relationship with offensive coordinator Phil Longo, who brought his version of the Air Raid to Wisconsin from North Carolina. Longo recruited Mordecai while he was the offensive coordinator at Ole Miss.
"I had an opportunity to come play for coach Fickell, who has been very successful," he said. "He took a Group of Five team to the College Football Playoff. That hadn’t been done (before), and I don’t know if it will be done again.
"Mix that with coach Longo. He's a successful offensive mind. I think he's at the top of the chain for offensive minds in college football and the pros."
And, of course, he couldn’t ignore the stage on which he'll be competing.
"It allows me to show what I can do ... I don't want to disrespect anybody in the AAC and say they are better defenses and stuff, but it's just a bigger stage," Mordecai said. "I think that can help me become what I want to be."
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