Badgers Lose QB Tyler Van Dyke to Season-Ending ACL Tear

The Badgers QB1 is out for the 2024 season.

Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers football team will be without their starting quarterback for the remainder of the 2024 season.

Colten Bartholomew and Pete Thamel both reported that Tyler Van Dyke suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during Saturday’s game against No. 4 Alabama, which Badgernotes was able to confirm with a source.

"We'll get a little bit more clarity hopefully here soon, get an MRI and things like that," Fickell told reporters after the game. "I don't think it looks real good for him, and that is really, really difficult. I think he was really well-prepared, and I think he had grown in those first few weeks and was really sharp to start that game."

The injury occurred in the first half of the 42-10 loss to the Crimson Tide. With just over 11 minutes remaining in the first quarter, Van Dyke scrambled to his right for a gain of 5 yards that resulted in a first down because of a defensive holding penalty, but an unfortunate planting of his right leg left QB1 reaching for his knee as soon as he hit the ground.

Losing an experienced signal caller like Van Dyke this early in the season is a significant blow to a Badgers offense already struggling to find its identity this season. In total, the Connecticut native completed 43-of-68 pass attempts for 422 yards and a touchdown through the air while also adding 26 yards and a rushing score on the ground.

Van Dyke, a graduate transfer from Miami, was brought in to help revitalize the Wisconsin Badgers offense under coach Fickell and offensive coordinator Phil Longo. Through three games, Van Dyke had shown flashes of his potential, but his injury now leaves the team in a difficult position as they prepare for the remainder of their season.

In his absence, backup QB Braedyn Locke will take over as the starter for the foreseeable future. Locke was thrust into action when Van Dyke went down, completing 13-of-26 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown on 4.8 yards per attempt. Albeit against a talented Alabama squad, the redshirt sophomore struggled with ball placement and lacked pocket awareness.

Locke now faces the daunting task of leading the Badgers through a tough stretch of games, including a road trip to face USC in two weeks. Fortunately for Wisconsin, they have a bye week to regroup and prepare for Locke to step in as the starter, with true freshman Mabrey Mattauer now moving into the backup role.

"Oh, he's gonna have to be ready," Fickell said of Mettauer. "He's gonna have to be ready because... the QB position is so unique. In college football right now, it's probably the most difficult to maintain that locker room, or maintain that QB room... Unfortunately, we could have to have a true freshman that's got to be ready to roll. That first or second series, I saw Braedyn kind of working his hand after he got hit, and he's one play away. He's a lot closer today, than he was in the past, and he's gonna have to grow up fast."

For Van Dyke, this is a heartbreaking setback in what was supposed to be a career-redefining year. With hopes of making a push toward the NFL, he now faces a lengthy rehab process, with the possibility of applying for a medical redshirt and returning for a sixth season in 2025.

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