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QBs Provide a Mixed Bag of Results in the Wisconsin Football Spring Game

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1 month ago

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Madison, Wis. – Fans finally got their first look at the revamped Wisconsin football program on Saturday, but unfortunately, the offense didn’t exactly live up to expectations. 

Wisconsin’s offense gave up five interceptions and ten sacks in the spring game and, frankly, seemed utterly out of sorts. However, the quarterback play stood out above the rest as Tanner Mordecai struggled while Braedyn Locke put in some quality reps. 

Here’s a look at the mixed bag of Wisconsin’s quarterback play at “The Launch.”

Wisconsin Football QB1 Tanner Mordecai struggles

Heading into the spring game, Tanner Mordecai was undoubtedly one of the most intriguing players to watch. The Badgers were ready to showcase the new air raid offense, but Wisconsin’s QB1 struggled through the air in the harsh conditions. 

On the first-team offense’s opening drive, Mordecai threw an interception to Kamo’i Latu on the third play from scrimmage. On the next drive, Mordecai tried to find Skyler Bell deep but overthrew him, allowing Ricardo Hallman to snag the defense’s second interception.

The struggles continued later on as Mordecai missed senior receiver Chimere Dike over the middle, allowing Hallman to haul in another interception. But it didn’t stop there, as Hallman grabbed his third INT of the day when a ball sailed through CJ Williams’ hands. 

Mordecai would finish the day without a touchdown pass. However, he did have a streak of six completed passes in the second half. Mordecai was underwhelming in the spring game, but there’s no reason to panic. Harsh conditions contributed to a tough day for Mordecai, but there’s still plenty of time to adapt to Phil Longo’s offense. 

Braedyn Locke impresses in the Wisconsin football spring game

Former Mississippi State transfer Braedyn Locke was one of the standouts in the spring game. The redshirt freshman showed poise and confidence while leading the second-team offense and turned some heads with his solid performance. 

Locke got out to a quick start as he led a scoring drive on his first opportunity. Locke completed five of his six pass attempts and connected with Hayden Rucci for a touchdown on the second team’s first drive. 

He would find the endzone again as he hit Quincy Burroughs for a 14-yard touchdown and finished the scrimmage with an unofficial 236 yards and two touchdowns. 

Locke’s performance showed that the Wisconsin football program has a reliable backup option. Mordecai will still be the starter when the season opener rolls around, but Locke can provide some quality play if his number is called. 

Other notes

Wisconsin trotted out five QBs on Saturday, as Marshall Howe, Nick Evers, and Myles Burkett followed Mordecai and Locke. 

Howe has climbed up to the No. 3 QB on the depth chart and put out some decent tape on Saturday. The redshirt freshman found the endzone when he connected with Alex Moeller from inside the 10. Unofficially, Howe completed five of his eight pass attempts for 42 yards. Although he wasn’t a big standout, Howe showed his understanding of the offense with precise decision-making. 

Nick Evers would also see some action in the spring game. The Oklahoma transfer failed to complete a pass, as he threw an interception to Jonas Duclona and missed receivers on his other attempts. He did show some promise as a dual-threat QB as he unofficially compiled 25 yards on the ground. 

Myles Burkett checked in for one series, where he would complete a pass to Cade Yacamelli, who broke out for some yards after the catch. Unofficially, Burkett completed 1 of 3 passes for 26 yards. 

All in all, the quarterback play was a mixed bag. There shouldn’t be any panic about the QB room, as there is still plenty of time for the signal-callers to get adjusted.

The Wisconsin football program now has two spring practices remaining.

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FootBall

This Wisconsin Football Player Could Break School Records in 2023

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42 mins ago

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May 28, 2023

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Wisconsin football stadium: Camp Randall
Sep 10, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers mascot Bucky Badger prior to the game against the Washington State Cougars at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Expectations for the Wisconsin football program are sky-high entering the 2023 season. Part of that is Luke Fickell taking over as head coach, and another part is Phil Longo joining his staff and implementing his air raid offensive attack, bringing the Badgers into the 21st century.

And while that’s all well and good, Wisconsin needed someone capable of elevating the quarterback room to take the next step offensively. So the coaching staff went portaling this offseason and came out with a proven option to lead the charge.

That player is Tanner Mordecai, who is a quarterback to watch out for in the upcoming college football season. The former SMU quarterback transferred to the Wisconsin football program and is expected to make a significant impact in Phil Longo’s air raid passing attack.

In two seasons starting at SMU, Mordecai threw for 7,152 yards, 72 touchdowns, 22 interceptions, and had a 66.4% completion percentage. Mordecai’s arm talent and experience, coupled with the new offensive system, could lead him to break several passing records in his lone season in Madison.

Tanner Mordecai Could Re-Write the Badgers History Books 

Mordecai was a highly recruited quarterback out of high school, and he chose to attend the University of Oklahoma. He redshirted his freshman year and then served as a backup quarterback for two seasons behind Heisman Trophy winners Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray. He later transferred to SMU, where he went crazy and put himself on the NFL’s radar.

Mordecai’s transfer to Wisconsin has generated a lot of excitement among Badgers fans. The team has long been known for its strong running game, but with Mordecai at the helm, they could have a potent passing attack as well.

Phil Longo, the Badgers new offensive coordinator, is known for his air raid offense, which relies heavily on the passing game. This could be a perfect fit for Mordecai, who has shown that he can make accurate throws and read defenses well.

If the 6-foot-3, 214-pound signal-caller can replicate his performances from the past two seasons or even come close; he has a chance to break several long-standing passing records at Wisconsin.

The school’s single-season passing record is 3,175 yards, set by Russell Wilson in 2011 (the only Wisconsin football quarterback to eclipse 3k). Under coach Longo, his starting QBs have a five-year average of 3,704 passing yards per season. Also, consider that Mordecai threw for over 3,500 yards in the past two seasons.

Mordecai’s impressive arm strength, plentiful opportunities, and accuracy could help him surpass that mark. Of course, there will be challenges for the Texas native as he adjusts to a new offense and a new team.

Wisconsin Football is in Good Hands 

The Big Ten is known for its physical, hard-hitting defenses, and Mordecai will likely face some tough tests on the field. However, he has shown the talent and the drive to succeed at the highest level of college football.

Overall, Tanner Mordecai is a quarterback to watch in the upcoming season. His transfer to the Wisconsin football program has generated a lot of excitement, and if he can replicate his performances from the past two seasons, he could break the single-season passing record.

With Phil Longo’s air raid offense and Mordecai’s impressive arm talent, the Badgers could have one of the most potent passing attacks in the Big Ten if everything breaks right. 

Why Wisconsin Football is the Most Underrated Program in the Country

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. 

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Wisconsin Football Attempting to Flip ACC Commit, Recruiting Updates, More

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1 day ago

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May 27, 2023

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Wisconsin badgers football
Nov 26, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; A Wisconsin Badgers cheerleader carries the Wisconsin flag following a score during the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been a busy couple of days for the Wisconsin football program, especially on the recruiting front, but fear not because BadgerNotes can help get you back up to speed with a roundup of some important Badgers news you may have missed.

Wisconsin Badgers Trying to Flip a Defensive Line Commit 

Defensive line coach Greg Scruggs and the Wisconsin football program recently offered 2024 Pittsburgh commit Francis Brewu out of Columbus, Ohio, who committed to the Panthers in March.

According to the industry-generated composite rankings, he’s the No. 88 DL in the country and the No. 39 player in Ohio.

Brewu, a 6-foot-2, 270-pound three-star defensive lineman, registered 25 tackles and 12.5 sacks for Thomas Worthington High School as a junior.

It’s unknown whether or not Wisconsin has a real chance to flip the ACC commit, but from what I’m hearing, the Badgers coaching staff is trying to get him on campus for an official visit in June.

Wisconsin Football Makes the Cut for 2024 Offensive Tackle 

Wisconsin football currently holds just one offensive line commit in the 2024 recruiting cycle: four-star OT Derek Jensen, who pledged to the Badgers in April. However, they still need several more bodies at the position and made the cut for one of their top remaining targets.

Three-star offensive tackle Ronan O’Connell announced his top three schools: Clemson, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

According to the 247Sports composite rankings, O’Connell is the No. 39 OT in the 2024 recruiting class and the No. 13 player in Tennessee.

The 6-foot-4, 270-pound Tennessee native probably projects best at guard in college and has an official visit on the books to visit Madison on June 9.

Other Wisconsin Football News

After Wisconsin football coaches flew out to Maryland to watch 2024 cornerback Lloyd Irvin workout in person, the coaching staff extended him a scholarship offer, and he wasted no time repaying the favor, scheduling an official visit to Madison shortly after that.

Irvin, a 6-foot-3 unranked cornerback prospect who holds offers from Michigan, Maryland, Boston College, Michigan State, West Virginia, and several others, will be on campus for an official visit the weekend of June 9-11.

“They’re a big contender,” Irvin said. “This coaching staff at Wisconsin has experience getting long cornerbacks into the league and helping them develop.”

Although he’s not currently ranked in the industry-generated recruiting rankings, some major schools are involved or circling, so this could be a sneaky talent worth locking down to develop.

It would be an understatement to say that the Badgers’ defensive coaching staff has a type with their defensive backs. If you don’t have plus size and length, you can forget about getting an offer from Wisconsin at this point.

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

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FootBall

Where Former Wisconsin Football Transfers Landed This Offseason

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2 days ago

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May 26, 2023

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Wisconsin Football RB Julius Davis
Sep 17, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Julius Davis (32) rushes with the football during the fourth quarter against the New Mexico State Aggies at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
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The transfer portal has become an increasingly popular route for college players to find new opportunities and see if the grass is, in fact, greener on the other side. And just like every other school, Wisconsin football lost its fair share of players during the coaching transition from Paul Chryst to Luke Fickell.

Several former Badgers have entered the portal this off-season in search of a better system fit, more playing time, or potential NIL opportunities on the open market.

After recently taking a look at where former Wisconsin coaches found new homes, I figured it might be worthwhile to see where the Badgers who entered the transfer portal will play in 2023, starting with the defense.

Cornerback, Avyonne Jones –> Coastal Carolina 

Former Wisconsin Football Cornerback, Al Ashford –> Utah State

Former Wisconsin Football Safety, Titus Toler –> Boise State

Linebacker, Spencer Lytle –> Stanford

Defensive End, Tristan Monday –> Arizona State

Cornerback, Semar Melvin –> Michigan State

And now, a look at where the former Wisconsin football offensive players found homes in the transfer portal…

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