When one thinks about Wisconsin Badgers in the NFL, one does not typically think of quarterbacks. Instead, one thinks of running backs like Jonathan Taylor, James White, and Monte Ball. One may also think offensive linemen like Joe Tippmann, Tyler Biadasz, Logan Bruss, and recent Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Joe Thomas.
One may even start thinking of edge rushers and linebackers like JJ Watt, TJ Watt, Leo Chenal, Vince Begal, and T.J. Edwards. Rarely does one think of quarterbacks, aside from Russell Wilson.
Wilson, of course, was an anomaly among recent Badgers quarterbacks. Playing for three seasons at NC State, he put up good numbers against bad competition. His final year, spent at Wisconsin, proved to NFL scouts that he had what it takes to be a NFL quarterback.
And the rest, as they say, is history. Current Badgers quarterback Tanner Mordecai is hoping to have an experience similar to Wilson’s that results in a shot with a NFL team.
Wisconsin Badgers Play-By-Play Announcer Matt Lepay Joins Mike Heller to Discuss Tanner Mordecai
Uwgrid Launch April 22 202three
The Badgers football team is currently participating in a training camp off-campus at UW Platteville. The purpose of the camp, per head coach Luke Fickell, is to help the team come together and focus only on football for a week or so.
Matt Lepay, the esteemed voice of the Badgers football team, joined The Mike Heller Show on 97.3 The Game on Thursday to discuss his observations during the first couple of days of camp.
Heller and Lepay discussed many things regarding Wisconsin’s football team over the course of the near hour-long interview. For instance, Lepay reported that the wide receivers, running backs, and offensive line all look good enough to be competitive this year.
Of course, one of the things fans are most excited about is having a legitimate quarterback in an actual passing offense for the first time in decades. That quarterback is Tanner Mordecai, who Lepay reported has his sights set on the NFL:
“I remember the same conversation I was having with him in the spring. He was thinking NFL until he heard that maybe he is not ready for that quite yet. So, he knows. They made it very clear to him, the NFL guys, and he understands that what he did at SMU was terrific. 72 touchdown passes and all that.
“The pro scouts, they want to see what he can do now in the Big Ten, so if the answer is a positive one, and this team really gels offensively, they could have a whole lot of fun this season.”
In 2021, Mordecai’s first year as a starter at SMU, he threw for 3,628 yards, 39 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Last season, he threw for 3,524 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
What Mordecai’s goal highlights, though, is the utter importance of the Luke Fickell hiring by athletic director Chris McIntosh. Many, if not most, fans wanted Jim Leonhard to get the head coaching job. It would have been a nostalgic hire and kept things relatively the same at Wisconsin.
What the Badgers had been doing, though, was not leading to Big Ten or National Championships. Fickell and offensive coordinator Phil Longo bring with them an exciting offensive concept that includes a bigger emphasis on the passing game.
That emphasis is what led to Mordecai to choose Wisconsin when he entered the transfer portal. Now, that is not to say that Wisconsin will abandon the run. After all, they already have Braelon Allen and Chez Mellusi at running back. What fans should expect to see is a more balanced offense than they have seen since, well, the Russell Wilson Badgers team.
To hear more of what Matt Lepay had to say about how the Badgers look in training camp, listen to Heller’s full show linked above.
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