The Wisconsin Badgers needed a major boost at both the quarterback position and the offensive side of the ball after this past season. They may have found a piece to the puzzle that makes up the Wisconsin football quarterback room with their latest commitment. According to Pete Nakos of On3 Sports, the Badgers have added a major piece to their quarterback room, bringing in Danny O’Neil from San Diego State via the transfer portal.
San Diego State quarterback Danny O’Neil has signed with Wisconsin, @On3sports has learned.
He threw for 2,181 yards and 12 touchdowns as a true freshman. Visited Madison over the weekend. https://t.co/VxSGJEUisH pic.twitter.com/pCIf3xwknI
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) December 16, 2024
Danny O’Neil Commits to the Wisconsin Badgers
O’Neil confirmed the reports minutes after the initial reports with his post to social media.
Jump🔴⚪️ @BadgerFootball @coachgrimey @CoachFick pic.twitter.com/R4rN8jXevP
— Danny O’Neil (@_dannyoneil) December 16, 2024
The quarterback had an impressive freshman season at San Diego State, stepping into the starting quarterback role right away. Over 11 games, he completed 63.3% of his passes, throwing for 2,181 yards, 12 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Beyond his passing stats, he showcased some mobility, adding 93 rushing yards and a touchdown to his resume.
A former three-star recruit from Indiana, O’Neil originally committed to Colorado, however, he chose San Diego State after their offensive coordinator, Sean Lewis, was hired away from Colorad to become head coach at San Diego State.
The Fit for O’Neil with Wisconsin Football
The Wisconsin Badgers needed a boost to their quarterback depth heading into this recruitment season. With true freshman Mabrey Mettauer and 2025 commits Carter Smith and Landyn Locke making up the rest of the roster, O’Neil adds much-needed depth and a level of familiarity with high-level competition with the ability to start if needed.
With the exit of Braedyn Locke and Tyler Van Dyke, the Badgers needed to build a strong foundation and find a starting quarterback, or at least have some options. After letting go of Phil Longo, the Wisconsin Badgers are looking to rebuild their offense and get back to winning in Madison. O’Neil represents a part of a possible solution to make that happen.
Wisconsin will look to add more to their quarterback room and it could come via the transfer portal. There are some reports that they could look to Maryland starter Billy Edwards Jr, who also entered the transfer portal. Edwards Jr. had a nice season for Maryland, completing 65% of his passes for 2,881 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. He will be entering his senior year.
A potential pairing of Edwards and O’Neil would give head coach Luke Fickell and new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes a well-rounded quarterback group, balancing experience and long-term potential.
O’Neil joins a growing list of new additions, including Corey Walker (Western Michigan), Mason Reiger (Louisville), Tanner Koziol (Ball State), and Parker Petersen (Tulane). Most of the additions have been to the defensive side for the Wisconsin Badgers. O’Neil brings three years of eligibility to the table and could potentially become the starter down the road.
