The quarterback room for the Wisconsin Badgers is going to look entirely different than fans originally thought. After Braedyn Locke and Tyler Van Dyke entered the transfer portal, it left the Badgers with some holes to fill. Once the quarterback situation was reshaped, they were left with other fallout in the QB room. One of those was the decision by true freshman QB Mabrey Mettauer to enter the transfer portal, first reported by Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports/247 Sports.
Wisconsin true freshman QB Mabrey Mettauer is expected to enter the transfer portal, a source tells @CBSSports/@247Sports.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Texas native was a Class of 2024 four-star recruit.https://t.co/cnD2r3SyU2 pic.twitter.com/zWxQhXneVG
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 22, 2024
What led Mabrey Mettauer to Leave the Wisconsin Badgers?
Once Locke and Van Dyke entered the transfer portal, it was clear that there was going to be an opportunity in Wisconsin to grab a starting role for another quarterback. The Wisconsin Badgers, led by head coach Luke Fickell and new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes, decided to look externally to overhaul their system.
That led them to two quarterbacks, a veteran commodity and a player with plenty of potential, reshaping the program in one fell swoop. The Badgers gained a commitment from quarterback Danny O’Neil to transfer from San Diego State as their first move in the quarterback room. O’Neil has three years of eligibility left and offers that depth and a starting option if another move the Wisconsin Badgers made doesn’t work out.
That move is gaining a commitment from Billy Edwards Jr. from Maryland. Edwards Jr. is entering his senior year and should bring the steady presence and dynamic athleticism the new-look Wisconsin Badgers offense is looking for.
Since these two moves took place, Wisconsin lost a commitment from 2025 recruit QB Landyn Locke. With four-star recruit Carter Smith in the fold, it leaves little room for Mettauer to break through.
The Potential Lost by Wisconsin Football
Mettauer started the 2024 season as the third-string quarterback for the Wisconsin Badgers. After an injury brought down starting QB Van Dyke, Mettauer was elevated to being the backup QB behind Locke.
He’s a four-star recruit out of Texas and is known as a longer-term project, even if he was one of the top recruits Wisconsin has landed in a long time. Mettauer was the No. 52 QB in the 2024 class. His calling cards are his arm and mobility, both of which he hasn’t been able to show off at the college level yet.
Mettauer is taking four years of eligibility with him as he leaves the Wisconsin Badgers. He’ll have plenty of interest, as during his original recruiting, he had some big-name schools giving him offers like LSU, Miami, Ole Miss, and more.
Phil Longo had a heavy hand in Mettauer’s recruitment, which may have contributed to his decision to leave after the firing of Phil Longo. Jeff Grimes and Luke Fickell will have to go back to the transfer portal to round out the quarterback room, as it currently holds Edwards Jr., O’Neil, and Smith.
