Wisconsin football is in the middle of their spring football practices. The Badgers went 7-6 in year one under head coach Luke Fickell. It was a tough year given the pre-season hype and expectations. With the expansion of the Big Ten, year two might be even harder.
Wisconsin football also needs a new starting quarterback after last year’s starter Tanner Mordecai used his last year of eligibility. The Badgers brought in Tyler Van Dyke out of Miami as what looked to be the obvious replacement. However, redshirt sophomore Brayden Locke, who appeared in five games last season, looks to be making this a competition. Here is a look at the two Wisconsin football quarterbacks.
Tyler Van Dyke- Wisconsin Football Redshirt Senior
Van Dyke had to deal with a ton of coaching changes in his time at Miami. Last season, Van Dyke recorded 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. In his career, Van Dyke has thrown for over 7,400 yards and 54 passing touchdowns. He was great in his redshirt freshman season as he threw for 25 touchdowns and only six interceptions.
Van Dyke has a well above average throwing arm, something Wisconsin football did not have last season. Van Dyke can make any thrown on the field, but his accuracy can be an issue. In his career, he’s around 65%, but that is expected for a quarterback that takes chances down the field. Wisconsin football did not have that last season, but Van Dyke can provide that.
Brayden Locke- Wisconsin Football Redshirt Sophomore
Brayden Locke appeared in the Iowa game last season after Tanner Mordecai broke his hand. He would go on to make three more starts for Wisconsin football. He saw Iowa, Ohio State, Indiana, and Illinois. The Badgers went 1-3 in the games he appeared in. At the end, he threw for five touchdown and one interception.
Locke is not as big as Van Dyke as he only sits at 6’0. He had a lot of passes tipped at the line of scrimmage. However, Locke shows flashed of potential with his accuracy. The redshirt sophomore is the more accurate quarterback in spring practices as well. I think Locke is seen as a the future starter for this team. At minimum, I think he will be the starter in 2025 and 2026. Locke does not have the years of experience Van Dyke has, but Luke Fickell and Phil Longo know what they have in him.
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