Should the Wisconsin Badgers consider benching QB Braedyn Locke?

The Badgers offense has been struggling, and Braedyn Locke is a big reason why. Is it time for Wisconsin football to consider benching him?

The University of Wisconsin football team (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten) delivered what might have been their most disappointing performance of the 2024 season against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Due to the Badgers' ongoing offensive struggles and lack of production from its quarterback, some are wondering if it’s time to consider a change — and send Braedyn Locke to the bench.

Typically, I wouldn’t even consider saying this given the current roster construction, but here’s the hard truth: Locke's erratic quarterback play puts an uncomfortable amount of pressure on the rest of this team. Time and again, we see a costly mistake turn everything upside down.

This is a Badgers football team with an already razor-thin margin for error. They simply can’t afford for the most important position on the field to be this inconsistent and give the ball away as frequently as Locke tends to do.

A reliable signal caller solves a lot of problems. Poor QB play, on the other hand, piles them on. The Badgers have a myriad of other concerns, no doubt, but until this spot gets solidified, any form of real progress feels out of reach.

Breaking down the numbers behind Locke’s struggles

This season, Locke has completed 117-of-206 pass attempts (56.8%) for 1,418 yards with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. The Rockwall, Texas, native has also run for 23 yards, adding two more scores on the ground.

On a more troubling note, in Locke's six starts since replacing Tyler Van Dyke as starter, he has managed to throw at least one interception per game and is responsible for nine turnovers in total (eight picks, one fumble). Not great.

The numbers from Pro Football Focus tell the same story.

The redshirt sophomore's offensive grade of 58.2 ranks 75th out of 77 Power 5 quarterbacks who have logged at least 20% of their team’s snaps, and Locke’s below average passing grade—53.9—is just slightly better at 74th.

Those rankings aren’t just a footnote; they underscore quarterback play that’s been consistently subpar by any metric.

Locke has shown some flashes downfield with six big-time throws, but that still leaves him 54th in the Power 5. His BTT percentage of 2.8% isn’t much to write home about either, tying him at 64th.

And where the inconsistency becomes even more glaring: Locke has racked up 15 turnover-worthy plays, the third most in the Power 5. That translates to a turnover-worthy play rate of 6.6%, the second worst among his counterparts.

His eight batted passes also rank among the top six nationally among Power 5 QBs, suggesting there's an issue with getting the ball out cleanly. And it’s not like he’s operating under relentless pressure. In fact, Locke has one of the best protection ratings in the country, with only seven QBs nationally facing less total pressure.

My frustration comes in here: Locke struggles to read a zone defense, plain and simple, takes too many risks, and he’s playing like a one-read quarterback.

Offensive coordinator Phil Longo has said on several occasions that Locke's mental acuity and overall understanding of the offense is one of his best assets, setting him apart from some of the younger QBs.

“He’s just really, really, really high end from a mental standpoint, he’s a junky," Longo told reporters. "That’s kinda where you have to be if you want to take this quarterback position to another level.”

Let's just call a spade a spade; if the only praise you can offer on a player revolves around his football IQ, it means he doesn't have any other redeeming qualities worth talking about, which checks out when you watch him play. Locke's limited upside and lack of mobility are holding this offense back from reaching its full potential — whatever that ceiling may be.

Wisconsin is stuck between a rock and a hard place

The harsh reality? The Wisconsin Badgers desperately need help at QB, but there’s no obvious answer on the roster. Van Dyke won the starting job in fall camp because he was the clear-cut best option, but he's hurt. And while Mabrey Mettauer is waiting in the wings, he still needs time to develop—and that’s perfectly fine. In many ways, it's to be expected.

Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing in at 230 pounds, Mettauer brings a big arm and a dual-threat skill set that checks a lot of boxes for what Fickell wants to roll out at quarterback. He’s been getting valuable reps in practice since Van Dyke’s injury, along with some in-game experience—16 snaps across three games, including 11 coming in a blowout win against Purdue, where he logged a short completion to Jackson McGohan and a 2-yard run.

Mettauer is a promising talent who could have a bright future at Wisconsin if brought along the right way. Even so, coach Fickell isn’t concerned about burning his redshirt, nor should he be.

"Here's a guy that we know has to be ready, and every opportunity to step on the field on a Saturday, regardless of the situation, he's got to be ready," Fickell told reporters. "That's one of those situations that you don't think it's a big deal until it's a big deal. The guy is still one play away from not just going in there and finishing a game but from going in there and having to win a game, going in there and having to control a game, going in there and having to make adjustments and adapt within a game. So, every opportunity to get him on the field, I think, is a great opportunity for us."

Yes, there is a bye week to prepare before the Oregon game, but asking Mettauer, a true freshman, to step up and lead this struggling Badgers offense against a team with legitimate national championship aspirations? That’s asking a lot. The timing couldn’t be worse.

If you believe that Locke’s lost the locker room—though there’s no way of knowing from the outside—then sure, make the switch. Odds are, letting a young quarterback learn on the job won’t “ruin” him. But let’s not forget—Wisconsin is still just one win away from securing a bowl game and extending their 22-year streak.

So, there’s plenty on the line, but the Badgers' options are limited. My take on Locke hasn’t wavered: he's not the guy now and won't become the guy in the future. Locke is a nice depth piece and a quality backup quarterback. But at this point in the season, I think you've got to stick it out with Locke and hope for the best before searching tirelessly for a better solution this offseason.

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