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

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.