Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz entering the transfer portal

Quarterback Graham Mertz, a three-year starter at Wisconsin, has entered the transfer portal.

The redshirt junior - and the highest-rated quarterback the Badgers signed during the Rivals.com era - announced his decision via social media on Sunday evening. Mertz has two years of collegiate eligibility remaining.

"It’s a tough situation," head coach Luke Fickell told reporters on Sunday. "He knows that. We want nothing more than the best for him. I encouraged him to stick around here and wait and see how the changes go."

During his recruitment, Mertz made an early commitment to the Badgers but was heavily pursued by some of the top programs in the country in the spring and summer of 2018. Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Clemson, LSU, Miami, Oregon and Michigan, among many others, all offered the No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the 2019 class.

At Wisconsin, Mertz redshirted during his first year before he stepped into a starting role the following season after Jack Coan went down with an injury during fall camp. Mertz completed 20 of 21 passes for 248 yards and five touchdowns in his season debut against Illinois, but his play leveled off during a 4-3 campaign.

Over the past two seasons, Mertz struggled mightily with consistency. Under Paul Chryst in 2021, he threw 11 interceptions and just 10 touchdowns. Mertz improved this fall, but still tossed 10 picks and completed just 57.3 percent of his attempts.

During his last game at Wisconsin, Mertz was injured during the Badgers' final offensive drive against Minnesota. UW eventually lost, 23-16, to the Gophers.

For the Guaranteed Rate Bowl against Oklahoma State, Wisconsin will likely turn to fifth-year senior Chase Wolf or true freshman Myles Burkett at quarterback.

With Wolf not expected to return, Fickell may use the transfer portal to add an experienced quarterback for the 2023 season. Burkett and walk-on Marshall Howe are the only other players at the position on the current roster, though Cole LaCrue is expected to sign this month and enroll early for spring camp.

Mertz is the fifth player to enter the transfer portal from Wisconsin's 2022 roster, along with Logan Brown, Markus Allen, Deacon Hill and Stephan Bracey.

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