Wisconsin Football 2024 Spring Practice Preview: Quarterbacks

Wisconsin Badgers head football coach Luke Fickell and his staff are preparing for their second round of spring practices with the program. 

The Badgers are set to begin spring ball on March 22 and run until May 2. Several of those practices are expected to be open to the media.  

Here’s a look at Wisconsin’s quarterback room, along with a player to watch, a newcomer that excites me, and the biggest question mark. 

Wisconsin Football Team’s Projected QB Depth Chart

Apr 11, 2023; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Phil Longo watches quarterback Marshall Howe (12) during practice Tuesday, April 11, 2023 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Starter: Tyler Van Dyke 

Backup: Braedyn Locke 

Next Up: Nick Evers 

Others: Cole LaCrue and Mabrey Mettauer 

Wisconsin football went portaling once again for an experienced signal caller this offseason, landing former Miami Hurricanes quarterback Tyler Van Dyke to lead Phil Longo’s offense.

“He’s a mentally tough kid,” Longo told reporters. “He’s very bright. Obviously, he’s tall and rangy, and he can throw it all over the yard; he can make all the throws. I watched him live. Coach Fickell, I have learned working with him every day is huge on winners, right? We all are. And he’s a guy that has proven he can do that in the past.”

With starting quarterback Tanner Mordecai having exhausted his eligibility, the Badgers felt it best to add a proven option to the room and allow Braedyn Locke more seasoning before assuming the starting role.

Van Dyke’s addition is intriguing for the Badgers. After an impressive 2021 season, where he amassed 2,931 yards and 25 touchdowns to 6 interceptions en route to ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, his performance dipped due to injuries, coordinator turnover, and inconsistent play over the next two seasons.

As a pro-style quarterback, Van Dyke boasts a strong arm but lacks mobility. That said, Van Dyke has improved his pressure-to-sack percentage each season under center. His fit in Longo’s system, which requires some movement, remains a point of interest. Nonetheless, his ability to push the ball downfield is his most valuable asset.

Despite his issues with accuracy, Locke is poised to serve as the backup after showcasing promise as a redshirt freshman. Meanwhile, the quarterback room includes Nick Evers, a transfer from Oklahoma with untapped athletic potential, Cole LaCrue, and early enrollee Mabrey Mettauer, offering depth for the upcoming season.

Badgers Player to Watch 

Last season didn’t go according to plan for Nick Evers. He spent the majority of the year as the Wisconsin football team’s fourth-string quarterback until an injury to Mordecai elevated him to the No. 3 spot. 

Longo made it clear that Evers, the Badgers’ most physically gifted quarterback, needed to understand the passing game better from a protection standpoint, along with a few other nuances of the scheme, before he would begin earning more reps.

Will Evers take that next step this spring and push for more snaps? 

I’ll admit I’m skeptical that things will suddenly click, but if they do, there’s no denying this would be the best-case scenario for Wisconsin because there is game-breaking potential here. 

Wisconsin Football Newcomer That Excites Me

Mabrey Mettauer is the easy choice here. I’m not expecting much from the Texas native during spring practice, because reps are limited, and there are already two players borderline locked into their respective roles atop the Wisconsin football program’s depth chart.

However, Mettauer has all the tools you want in a young quarterback, and if everything clicks, he has starter potential. Hopefully, Mettauer has maximized his time in the classroom since getting on campus because if he has, we already know that Longo will reward him with reps.

Long-term, Mettauer is my favorite Badgers quarterback.

Quarterback Room’s Biggest Question Mark 

Fair or not, the biggest question mark will be whether or not Tyler Van Dyke can recapture his 2021 form and turn the Badgers passing game into a legitimate threat.

This will be Van Dyke’s fourth different offensive coordinator in as many years, and, if we’re being honest, Wisconsin football went through some noteworthy offensive struggles last season. The Badgers averaged 23.5 points per game, marking its lowest scoring total in 19 years. 

The Wisconsin Badgers finished 60th in rushing, 72nd in passing, 79th in yards per play, 108th in passing efficiency, and 91st in scoring. 

They’ll need Van Dyke to help elevate this passing attack and balance the Badgers offense overall to survive the gauntlet that lies ahead. 

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