With fall camp set to kick off on Wednesday, BadgerBlitz.com takes a look at offensive positional battles to watch next month before Wisconsin's opener against Buffalo.
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QUARTERBACK: Can anyone push Braedyn Locke for the back-up job?
Overview: Sixth-year senior Tanner Mordecai took all of the first-team reps this spring, and that likely won't change in August. So in terms of a position battle, keeping an eye on the No. 2 and No. 3 spots will be worth watching during camp.
Braedyn Locke's grasp of the offense stood out to coordinator and position coach Phil Longo, and it's a big reason why he separated as the clear No. 2. Locke played one season at Mississippi State in the late Mike Leach's pass-heavy air-raid. The similarities between the two coordinators' systems helped Locke tremendously during his first camp.
“Just coming in, there was a familiarity with the scheme that we were going to be running and the passing game in particular because of my background at Mississippi State," Locke said. "It’s a lot of the same things philosophically and so that’s what’s really helped me transition.”
Behind Mordecai and Locke, third-year quarterbacks Nick Evers and Myles Burkett are next in line. It will be interesting to see how if one of two can separate and push Locke in August.
"What he’s working on right now, and we just met one-on-one yesterday, is getting to a point where he understands what’s going on out there in the pass game from a protection standpoint," Longo said of Evers. "In the run game, when do we change some things or make a check or throw an RPO…those types of things he’s still on the learning curve with, and that’s why he’s had fewer reps.
“So the better he understands the system, the more we’ll see him out there.”
Battle to watch: Locke vs. Evers, Burkett
Too early prediction: Mordecai and Locke are a safe bet to be No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, when Wisconsin releases its first official depth chart ahead of the Buffalo game. Evers has arguably the highest ceiling of anyone in the room, but he has to gain a better understanding of the playbook.
