The Wisconsin Badgers quarterback room is going to look completely different in 2025 than it did in 2024. And for good reason. After Tyler Van Dyke tore his ACL and was lost for the season, head coach Luke Fickell and former offensive coordinator Phil Longo elected to have junior Braedyn Locke take over as the starting quarterback.
Locke struggled as the Badgers’ quarterback, completing just 55.4% of his passes for 1.936 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Even when Longo was fired midseason, Fickell decided to stick with the struggling junior, a decision that may have cost Wisconsin a Bowl Game for the first time in over two decades.
As the offseason has progressed for the Badgers, their 2024 quarterbacks have all entered the transfer portal, even backups Mabrey Mettauer and Cole LaCrue.
Former Wisconsin Badgers Quarterback Braedyn Locke Is Transferring to the Arizona Wildcats
After his poor play in 2024 and Longo’s firing, it was clear that there was no future for Locke at Wisconsin. With the writing on the wall, he entered the transfer portal after the season.
And now, he has found a new home:
Former Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke is transferring to Arizona. Locke started 12 games across two seasons with the Badgers.
— Dillon Graff (@DillonGraff) December 27, 2024
As one can see from the post above, Locke is transferring to the Arizona Wildcats. Locke immediately becomes the elder statesman in the Arizona quarterback room, who had a group of six players at the position on their roster last season, all of whom were either freshmen or sophomores.
Who Will Be the Wisconsin Badgers Starting Quarterback in 2025?
Despite losing their entire quarterback room to the transfer portal, the Badgers have also been able to add some intriguing players through the portal themselves.
One of these is former Maryland quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., who completed 65.0% of his passes for 2,881 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season. He led the Big 10 with 420 passing attempts. Edwards has one year of eligibility remaining.
Additionally, Wisconsin snagged a commitment from former San Diego State quarterback Danny O’Neil, who had a 63.3% completion percentage for 2,181 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions last season as a true freshman. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
If Fickell stays true to his previous way of handling quarterbacks, Edwards will start in 2025 with O’Neil waiting in the wings to take over in 2026.
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