Unheralded Quarterback Shining in Wisconsin Football Spring Practice

Madison, Wis. — Spring practice is a time for players to showcase their skills and make a case for playing time, especially when you have a new coaching staff going through the evaluation period. That opportunity has led to an impressive showing for one walk-on quarterback in the Wisconsin football program thus far. 

Despite being relatively unknown and undervalued, walk-on QB Marshall Howe, a holdover from the previous staff, has surprised coaches with his accurate throws and in-depth knowledge of the team’s playbook. 

“There have been three guys that have shown something,” Phil Longo told UW reporters. “That would be Tanner [Mordecai], Braedyn [Locke], and Marshall Howe.” During that media availability, Longo would later confirm those were his top three on the depth chart if the season began today. 

Who is Marshall Howe? 

Marshall Howe chose to join the Wisconsin football program as a preferred walk-on in the 2022 recruiting cycle after a year of prep school over scholarship offers from Davison and Eastern Illinois. He also received interest from nearly every Ivy League school. 

The 6-foot-1, 194-pound signal caller had a solid (second) senior season at Avon Old Farms, where he completed 169-of-253 passes (66.8%) for 2,730 yards, 34 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. 

A consensus two-star prospect, Howe was ranked as the No. 228 QB in the 2022 recruiting cycle and the No. 15 player in Connecticut, according to 247Sports. 

How did Marshall Howe earn the right to see the field for Wisconsin football?

Given that the Wisconsin football program gave their quarterback room a complete facelift this offseason, adding Tanner Mordecai and former four-star talents Braedyn Locke and Nick Evers, it’s even more impressive that Marshall Howe has found a way to earn reps as the third-team signal-caller.

But why is he playing ahead of Evers, a player with significantly more athletic tools and arm strength? To Phil Longo, the answer is simple.

“On my board, it says ‘knowledge equals reps,” Longo told reporters. “I’ve learned the hard way – not just as a coach – putting the best athlete out there or the strongest arm out there slows the production of the offense, particularly when you’re installing it for the first time.”

Howe has impressed the new staff with his knowledge and understanding of the offense this spring, and because of that, has been rewarded with the majority of the snaps running the third offensive unit.

“He’s really preached that terminology is really important for us, whether it’s quarterback, wide receiver, tight ends, we all have to be on the same page with what we’re saying. So one thing that’s been important for me has been really writing down as much as possible in meetings, everything he says for the most part,” Howe told UW reporters.

Wisconsin football plays its first game on September 2, so there is plenty of time for players like Nick Evers and even Myles Burkett to play catchup and surpass him on the depth chart. However, his performance in spring ball has certainly raised some eyebrows, and the coaching staff deserves some credit for looking past recruiting rankings and playing the most prepared/knowledgeable options during installation.

Contact Info

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.

Join the Badger Notes watch party and stream Wisconsin Badgers games by following this link.

*Subscribe to Locked on Badgers on Youtube and wherever you find podcasts, the only daily Wisconsin Badgers podcast on the internet.