Following the conclusion of fall camp, BadgerBlitz.com will take a look at each position group and where they stand with the final phase of the offseason wrapping up.

We'll kick off our offensive overviews with the quarterbacks, a unit that head coach Luke Fickell claims to boast a 1A and 1B player.

Tyler Van Dyke: Though this was a quarterback battle that every analyst in America likely predicted correctly, with the Miami (FL) transfer Van Dyke ultimately named the Badgers' starting gunslinger, this was a tighter competition than most initially thought.

That reflects positively on both quarterbacks, but don't underestimate the job Van Dyke did over the course of spring and fall camps. Unlike a season ago, when SMU transfer Tanner Mordecai was handed the keys to the offense upon stepping foot in Madison, the Wisconsin staff facilitated a true competition for its top signal-caller spot. Van Dyke, learning his fourth offense in as many years, came in and went blow-for-blow with the cerebral Braedyn Locke, whose mastery of the playbook made this a much tighter race than expected. Finally, Van Dyke won out with his superior physical traits, as well as the non-negotiable of learning offensive coordinator Phil Longo's system to a tee.

"I think probably the big separator right now, bigger arm. He probably wins and drives the ball better in smaller holes. Both can throw the deep ball well, there's probably a greater range with Tyler," Longo said when asked why Van Dyke was given the reins to the offense. "And he has done a hell of a job running the football, extending plays when he needs to. Looking at him, they'd call him the prototypical pocket quarterback. I don't necessarily think that's what he is. He's shown he can extend plays with his legs, and that was another key factor in the decision."

Nothing? With two quarterbacks the Badgers feel comfortable starting, the requisite talent level isn't in question. Neither is depth. And with the only remaining 'odd man out', so to speak, now in line to start for UConn (Nick Evers), each player is right about where he should be in his development.

Now, an injury to Van Dyke would leave Wisconsin one cruel twist of fate away from having to trot out true freshman Mabrey Mettaeur as its starter. But it's hard to necessarily view that as a negative. This is the reality of modern college football: talented quarterbacks don't wait around to be backups. And Mettauer, though clearly too unseasoned to be trusted in Longo's offense quite yet, oozes talent and potential.

What edition of Tyler Van Dyke will we get in 2024? If there's one question swirling around the minds of Badger fans everywhere, this is it. Van Dyke is the ultimate X-factor for this team. Does he play like the quarterback hyped up as a potential top-10 NFL prospect? Or does he play like the quarterback that was benched in Coral Gables last season?

Now, the most likely outcome is somewhere in between those two extremes. But given the stark contrast between the highs and lows Van Dyke has experienced in his career, this is undoubtably the biggest question in the quarterback room.

Wisconsin has a commitment from a quarterback in the current recruiting class as well as in the 2026 cycle. Landyn Locke and Jarin Mock represent the future of the position in Madison behind the 2024 signee Mettauer.

Both signal-callers are big, pro-style players that are simultaneously comfortable on the move outside of the pocket. That's exactly how Longo would design a quarterback in a laboratory.

Given the current state of college football, it's difficult to project exactly who will be in the Badgers' quarterback room even at the end of the season. But with a young talent in Mettauer already on campus, and two promising verbal commits, Longo has done an excellent job setting Wisconsin up for success.

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