Wisconsin Badgers 2024 Spring Position Preview: Quarterbacks

As Luke Fickell's second act in Madison draws closer, BadgerBlitz.com will break down Wisconsin's roster position by position ahead of spring camp, which is slated to take place from March 22 to May 2.

BadgerBlitz.com is once again expected to watch any open practices available for reporters to attend. Thus, our position previews start on Friday with the quarterbacks, a position group that once again figures to be led by an experienced transfer.

Wisconsin once again went hunting for a potential starting quarterback in the portal this offseason, and came back with former Miami Hurricane Tyler Van Dyke. It was a necessary move, considering that in the wake of Tanner Mordecai's departure, the Badgers would've been left with Braedyn Locke as its most experienced signal-caller. That's not necessarily a knock on the redshirt sophomore, but Wisconsin felt it needed experience to bridge the gap in its quarterback room and sustain competition at the position. That being said, Van Dyke is the heavy favorite to win the job.

Van Dyke was an interesting get for the Badgers. Following his stellar 2021 season (2,931 yards, 25 touchdowns/6 interceptions), he was considered a top pro prospect and one of the best returning gunslingers in the nation. In the two seasons following, he threw 29 touchdowns combined and struggled with injuries and poor play, which ultimately led to him getting benched late in 2023.

Van Dyke's career has taken a turn for the worse since his breakout season, but offensive coordinator Phil Longo must firmly believe that he can recapture the magic from his first year as a starter in Coral Gables. If anyone can do it, Longo, who's known as a quarterback whisperer, has a shot.

As a player, Van Dyke is a pro-style quarterback. What he lacks in mobility he makes up for with his big arm; he can make every throw on the field. It'll be interesting to see how comfortable he looks in Longo's scheme, because he will be asked to move around at least a little. Overall, his experience is his most attractive quality.

Locke should open camp as the backup. He had an up-and-down first year in Madison, starting three games for the injured Mordecai. In his seven halves of action, he tossed for 769 yards, five touchdowns and one interception while completing 49.7 percent of his passes. Locke displayed great poise for a redshirt freshman, especially in the Badgers' comeback win over Illinois on the road. Still, he needs to work on his consistency and at times, his accuracy failed him. Regardless, Locke has a certain savvy to him that makes him serviceable in a pinch. How big of a leap can he take in year two in Longo's scheme?

The rest of the room features a bevy of young, if unproven, talent. Nick Evers was Wisconsin's fourth-stringer last season despite being a highly-touted transfer from Oklahoma. Evers has all the physical tools you could ask for; he just needs to put it together in the quarterback classroom. Evers got meager reps at best last spring, and even less last summer. Will that change in 2024?

Cole LaCrue, who redshirted his freshman year, and Mabrey Mettauer, Wisconsin's blue chip signee in the 2024 class who enrolled early, figure to hold a clipboard on the sideline for the majority of spring ball.

Last spring, it was relatively simple. Mordecai was the clear starter; he took every first-team rep. Locke was the clear backup, he took essentially every second-team rep. Fickell has talked about how nothing is guaranteed to transfers, but they do have expectations based on their pedigree. Thus, Van Dyke is expected to be the starter, but will he get every rep with the ones?

The same question applies at the QB2 spot. Can anyone push Locke for the backup gig? It would be very encouraging to see Evers take some reps with the second-team, as it means he's progressed from where he was a season ago.

Essentially, the more competition we see at the starter and backup spots, the more that bodes well for Wisconsin's quarterback room. But if no one can push Van Dyke, and no one can push Locke, it would be a startling indictment on the Badgers' quarterback development over the course of a year.

The player to watch this spring is once again Evers. Yes, it'll certainly be fascinating to see how Van Dyke looks right off the bat. Yes, the development of players like Locke and LaCrue, who have spent a year marinating in Longo's system, will be intriguing as well. But the sheer athletic ability Evers possesses once again makes him the player to keep close tabs on.

The quarterback can effortlessly fling the ball downfield with a flick of his wrist, and run with some of Wisconsin's wide receivers and defensive backs. What held him back from getting reps a year ago was a failure to fully grasp Longo's playbook. After a year of waiting in the wings, will Evers get his chance? Or, will he continue to ride the sideline for much of practice, indicating that he's still a ways away from being able to contribute on the field?

Evers could be the highest-upside quarterback on Wisconsin's roster. If he can put it all together, reconcile his athletic ability with his quarterback mind, he could be a sneaky pick to push Van Dyke for the starting role.

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