It’s a new year and a new team for former Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Mabrey Mettauer. After announcing his decision to enter the transfer portal on December 21, Mettauer has officially committed to play for the Sam Houston Bearkats in the fall of 2025. He announced his commitment in a post to his X account.
I have committed to Sam Houston State University @CoachPhilLongo
Let the work begin! pic.twitter.com/Qc0dDy7sZV— Mabrey Mettauer (@MabreyMettauer) December 30, 2024
Mettauer, a four-star recruit in the class of 2024, will be reuniting with former Wisconsin Badgers offensive coordinator Phil Longo. Longo was named the head coach of the Sam Houston Bearkats on December 18 after being fired as the Badgers’ OC in November. Mettauer, the primary backup for Wisconsin after Week 1 starter Tyler Van Dyke tore his ACL, preserved his redshirt status after only appearing in three games in 2024, throwing only one pass attempt for two yards. He will have four years of eligibility with the Bearkats.
It will be a homecoming for Mettauer, a native of The Woodlands, Texas. The Woodlands is only 40 miles from the campus of Sam Houston State in Huntsville, Texas.
Mabrey Mettauer Enters A Crowded Sam Houston Bearkats QB Room
Mettauer joins a Sam Houston Bearkats squad entering its third season as an FBS program. In 2024, the Bearkats finished with a 10-3 record and finished third in Conference USA. The team appeared in its first bowl game in program history, the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, and came away with a 31-26 win over the Georgia Southern Eagles. This came in spite of losing head coach K.C. Keeler after the conclusion of the regular season. Keeler will be the head coach at Temple University in 2025.
Mabrey joins a crowded quarterback room in Huntsville in 2025. 2024 starter Hunter Watson, heading into his sophomore season, started 12 games for the Bearkats. Central Michigan transfer Jase Bauer filled in for one game while Watson was dealing with an injury. Bauer has entered the transfer portal for the second time in two years, although he hasn’t committed to a new team as of writing, and Watson is still on the roster for the 2025 season. In 12 games last season, Watson threw for 1,811 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions with a 62.3% completion rate.
Sophomore DJ Bailey and incoming three-star recruit Jax Brown will round out the QB room for the Bearkats in 2025.
It is unclear as of now who will be the starter for the Bearkats in 2025, but Mettauer’s prior exprience in head coach Phil Longo’s air raid offense could potentially give him a head start against the competition.
Mettauer Reunites With Phil Longo
The move to Sam Houston reunites Mabrey with former Wisconsin offensive coordinator Phil Longo. Longo, the Badgers’ OC for the 2023 and 2024 seasons, took over as head coach of the Bearkats in December 2024. He was dismissed as Wisconsin’s offensive coordinator in November after a string of lackluster performances from the Badger offense. Speaking on the firing, head coach Luke Fickell had the following to say:
“This morning, I informed Phil Longo that he will no longer serve as our offensive coordinator. After continuing to evaluate the program, I decided we are not where we need to be and believe this decision is in the best interest of the team. I appreciate Phil’s commitment to helping us build our program over the past two seasons and wish him well moving forward. This team still has a lot in front of us and I am committed to doing everything we can to close out this season with success.”
The Badgers averaged 23.9 points and 363.1 yards per game in 10 games under Longo in 2024, going 5-5. Wisconsin ultimately failed to qualify for a bowl game for the first time since 2001, finishing 5-7.
Wisconsin Badgers Quarterback Competition
The Badgers will have quarterback questions of their own in 2025. Coming off of their worst season since 2001, Wisconsin will have to find a new starting quarterback following the transfers of Mettauer and 2024 starter Braedyn Locke. Tyler Van Dyke, who has one year of eligibility left after tearing his ACL in week 3 of 2024, has entered the transfer portal but so far has not made a move to another team.
There will be a quarterback competition in 2025 for the Badgers. The only quarterback from the 2024 roster that hasn’t entered the transfer portal is Milos Spasojevic, a walk-on in 2024 who didn’t play a snap for the Badgers last season. The Badgers will also have class of 2025 recruit Carter Smith join the roster in the spring.
Due to the lack of experienced options at the position, the Badgers have turned to the transfer portal to find their starter for 2025. Former San Diego State quarterback Danny O’Neill and former Maryland quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. have both committed to play for Wisconsin next season and are expected to battle it out in training camp for the starting position.
O’Neill, a former three-star recruit in the class of 2024, played in eleven games for the Aztecs in 2024, going 3-8. He threw for 2,181 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions while completing 63.3% of his passes. Edwards started 11 games for the Maryland Terrapins in 2024, going 4-7 as a starter while throwing for 2,881 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions.
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