FootBall

Wisconsin Badgers QB1 Snubbed in Big Ten Quarterback Rankings

Published

2 months ago

March 28, 2023

Wisconsin Football quarterback Tanner Mordecai

Wisconsin quarterback Tanner Mordecai throws a pass during first spring football practice of the season on Saturday March 25, 2023 at the McClain Center in Madison, Wis. Uw Football Spring Practice 9 March 25 2023

The Wisconsin Badgers QB room received a major shakeup during the offseason. UW has had a complete overhaul, with Graham Mertz hitting the transfer portal to Tanner Mordecai, Nick Evers, and Braedyn Locke all transferring in.

Former SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai will likely be Wisconsin’s QB1 this year, as he took first-team reps at spring practice this weekend. The 6-foot-2, 216-pound signal caller stood out for the Mustangs. In his two years with SMU, Mordecai amassed over 7,000 yards and 72 touchdowns.

That kind of production is hard to ignore, but Mordecai was given a very interesting placement among other Big Ten quarterbacks…

Where does Wisconsin Badgers QB Tanner Mordecai rank among other Big Ten signal callers?

Earlier this week, 247Sports released their Big Ten QB rankings, where Mordecai landed at No. 5. Here’s what 247Sports’ Brad Crawford says about Mordecai and his ranking.

“There’s a reason Wisconsin is picking up measurable dark-horse buzz in the Big Ten ahead of Luke Fickell’s first season. The Badgers went transfer-heavy in their quarterback room following Graham Mertz’s exit, and Mordecai comes to Madison as a decorated player. Mordecai is fresh off a 2022 campaign where he threw for 33 touchdowns at SMU. In two seasons for the Mustangs, the former Oklahoma signal caller totaled 72 touchdowns and 22 interceptions and eclipsed 3,500 passing yards in each campaign. Mordecai had an absurd performance in SMU’s 77-63 win over Houston last fall, throwing for 379 yards and nine scores. He’ll be playing his sixth year of college football in 2023.”

The QBs ranked ahead of Wisconsin Badgers signal caller Tanner Mordecai include Ohio State’s Kyle McCord, Penn State’s Drew Allar, Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa, and Michigan’s JJ McCarthy.

Reaction to Tanner Mordecai’s Ranking

The decision to place Mordecai fifth among Big Ten quarterbacks is a surprise, especially when looking at the signal callers placed ahead of him.

McCord is one of the most surprising. The junior QB did step in for CJ Stroud occasionally over the last two years, as he has amassed 606 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. In fairness, 247Sports did say that his ranking was due to his potential, but ranking the inexperienced QB over a seasoned vet is an interesting choice.

Allar is another unproven QB who was rated higher than Mordecai. The sophomore signal caller appeared in 10 games for the Nittany Lions and amassed 344 yards passing and four touchdowns. Once again, comparing that to Mordecai’s resume, the ranking seems to be a little high. In defense of the young QB, he is mechanically sound and has a high upside. However, he is unproven, while Mordecai boasts an exceptional record as a starter.

Tagovailoa coming in at second is also a surprise. While he has improved over the last two years, Maryland’s signal caller had a less productive year than his first campaign in 2021. Tagovailoa threw for 3,008 yards, 18 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 2022. Comparing that to Wisconsin football QB1 Tanner Mordecai, it’s surprising that Tagovailoa was ranked higher.

At the end of the day, these rankings mean nothing. However, that doesn’t make the picks less surprising. Mordecai will have a chance to prove himself this year as the Wisconsin Badgers look to climb back into Big Ten title contention. Under a revamped offense, 2023 could be one of the most exciting years yet.

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FB Recruiting

Breaking Down the Wisconsin Badgers Newest 2024 Defensive Line Commit

Published

1 hour ago

June 6, 2023

Dillon Graff

Wisconsin Football defensive line commit Hank Weber

Wisconsin Football Lands Commitment From 2024 DL Hank Weber

Madison, Wis. — In need of a serious revamping of the defensive line, the Wisconsin football coaching staff knew these next couple of weekends would be huge for the future of the defense.

The first domino of that DL revamp fell on Monday when the Badgers received a verbal commitment from 2024 three-star defensive lineman Hank Weber out of Brentwood, Tennesee, following an official visit to Madison this past weekend.

Pumped to Jump Around for the next 4 years!! 🦡 #committed #OnWisconsin @BadgerFootball @CoachFick @G_Scruggs @CoachMikeTress @_maximus347 @PatLambert13 @theBAFootball pic.twitter.com/XAtFwLUKSA

— hank weber (@hankweber8) June 5, 2023

According to 247Sports, Weber is the No. 99 DL in the country and the No. 37 player in Tennessee. The three-star recruit chose Wisconsin over offers from North Carolina, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Purdue, Virginia Tech, and several others.

“Wisconsin had everything that I was looking for in a college and program,” Weber said. “The defense that coach Mike Tressel runs was appealing because of how aggressive it is. And I’ve been told that coach Fickell sometimes likes to lead the defensive line meetings. That was a huge deal for me.”

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound defensive prospect is Greg Scruggs’ first commit in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

Scouting Report

Hank Weber is, by my evaluation, a solid but unspectacular prospect. That’s not to say I’m writing him off, though.

Although his pad level and ability to get off the ball were underwhelming, his pursuit and technique after the snap stood out. There is an undeniable blend of length and power as a pass-rusher that you love to see, and he strikes me as the type of assignment-sound player that could develop into a reliable starter with some time to fill out his frame.

One thing I love about Weber is that he also plays offensive line, so he’s got a tenacity and motor about him that is a must-have in a defensive line prospect.

Overall, I think Weber was a solid get, and for a re-tooling defensive line, he’s a solid start to what should be a large class of recruits at the position. I’ll like this commit even better if he’s paired with someone that has more pass-rushing upside.

The Impact of Hank Weber Joining the Wisconsin Football Program

Vernon Woodward is commitment No. 10 for the Wisconsin football program in the 2024 recruiting cycle, joining Mabrey Mettauer, Grant Stec, Robert Booker, Derek Jensen, Thomas Heiberger, Landon Gauthier, Kyan Berry-Johnson, Kahmir Prescott, and Vernon Woodward.

With his addition, UW now has the No. 21 recruiting class in the country, per 247Sports.

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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FB Recruiting

Wisconsin Football Adds Australian Punter, New 2024 Commit, More

Published

4 hours ago

June 6, 2023

Dillon Graff

Sep 3, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; General view of Camp Randall Stadium prior to the game between the Illinois State Redbirds and Wisconsin Badgers. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been a busy couple of days for the Wisconsin football program, ladies and gents, 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 Address Their Special Teams Need

Exiting spring practice, Wisconsin football head coach Luke Fickell voiced his concern about the Badgers’ punting situation.

“I’m a little bit concerned we’ve got to figure some things out probably in the punting situation,” Fickell said after the final spring practice. “I know it’s a tougher time, but we don’t get outside nearly as much to see those guys have an opportunity to punt the ball and for us to return it as well.”

Thankfully, that issue was addressed with Wisconsin landing a commitment from Atticus Bertrams, a native of Melbourne, Australia, who will be on scholarship in 2023.

I am proud to announce that I have committed to a full scholarship to study and play football at The University of Wisconsin

Thank you to @ProkickAus @JohnnyPKA @tglees @ConquestAthlete as well as @CoachFick and the staff at @BadgerFootball for this opportunity pic.twitter.com/g8wQQg4KzF

— Atticus Bertrams (@BertramsAtticus) May 27, 2023

Bertrams had previously committed to USC in 2021 but didn’t enroll. Instead, he spent his time training at Prokick, an academy in Australia that has produced six Ray Guy Award-winning punters.

Victoria 6.0 feat @BertramsAtticus

1. Hang time: 5.1, Dist: 48 yards
2. Hang time: 5.1, Dist: 52 yards
3. Hang time: 4.9, Dist: 52 yards pic.twitter.com/QNX4ZHrbyc

— Oliver Straw (@Ollie_Straw) August 8, 2021

He immediately slots in as Wisconsin’s top punter ahead of Jack Van Dyke and Gavin Meyers, who left something to be desired during spring practice. Bertrams has some big shoes to fill following the departure of Andy Vujnovich.

Wisconsin Football Lands Commitment From 3-Star Florida CB

Following an official visit to Madison, the Wisconsin football coaching staff added their first cornerback prospect of the 2024 cycle in three-star cornerback Vernon Woodward, out of Winter Park, Florida.

Wisconsin we home 🦡🔴🔥!!! @CoachFick @Haynes_Badgers @PatLambert13 #committed #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/mW0p2l97pI

— Vernon Woodward iii ⭐️ (@_vern1) June 4, 2023

According to the industry-generated composite rankings, he is the No. 74 cornerback in the 2024 recruiting class and the No. 128 player in Florida.

Woodward chose UW over scholarship offers from Ole Miss, Illinois, Cincinnati, Missouri, Purdue, UCF, Virginia, West Virginia, Louisville, Georgia Tech, and several others.

As a junior, the 6-foot-2 cornerback registered 57 tackles, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. But perhaps the most telling stat from Woodward’s junior season is that he was targeted only twice all year, which speaks volumes about his ability to blanket WRs at that level.

You can watch his HUDL film here.

Vernon Woodward is commitment No. 9 for the Wisconsin football program in the 2024 recruiting cycle, joining Mabrey Mettauer, Grant Stec, Robert Booker, Derek Jensen, Thomas Heiberger, Landon Gauthier, Kyan Berry-Johnson, and Kahmir Prescott.

Other Wisconsin Football News

According to a report from Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, the Wisconsin football team is adding a senior defensive analyst to the coaching staff.

UW is adding Rhode Island defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Jack Cooper as a senior defensive analyst next season after serving in his previous role since 2020. He also served as a quality control coach for Nebraska for two seasons.

Coach Cooper helped lead Rhode Island to a top-50 defensive unit in 2021 and a 7-4 record overall, their highest win total in two decades.

This addition is precisely the kind of coaching hire top-tier programs are making nowadays because they don’t count against the allowed amount of paid assistants. The beauty in adding an experienced coach like Jack Cooper is that you have an internal candidate you’re comfortable with should someone on your staff move on.

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FB Recruiting

Wisconsin Football Kicks off Official Visit Weekend With a Bang

Published

1 day ago

June 5, 2023

Dillon Graff

Oct 25, 2014; Madison, WI, USA; The Wisconsin logo at midfield of Camp Randall Stadium following the game between the Maryland Terrapins and Wisconsin Badgers. Wisconsin won 52-7. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Madison, Wis. — The Wisconsin football program kicked off its massive June 2 recruiting weekend with a bang. Following an official visit, the Badgers coaching staff added their first cornerback prospect of the 2024 cycle in three-star cornerback Vernon Woodward, out of Winter Park, Florida.

Wisconsin we home 🦡🔴🔥!!! @CoachFick @Haynes_Badgers @PatLambert13 #committed #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/mW0p2l97pI

— Vernon Woodward iii ⭐️ (@_vern1) June 4, 2023

According to the industry-generated composite rankings, he is the No. 74 cornerback in the 2024 recruiting class and the No. 128 player in Florida.

For Woodward, this was his first trip to Madison, and he chose UW over scholarship offers from Ole Miss, Illinois, Cincinnati, Missouri, Purdue, UCF, Virginia, West Virginia, Louisville, Georgia Tech, and several others.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound cornerback is Paul Haynes first commit at the position and got the recruiting assist on Woodward from fellow Florida natives Ricardo Hallman and Jonas Duclona, who hosted him on his visit.

The Skinny

In Vernon Woodward, the Wisconsin football program is getting a big corner with measurables this coaching staff covets above all else. His frame and skillset align well with the type of athlete that Luke Fickell and his staff have successfully developed.

As a junior, he registered 57 tackles, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. But perhaps the most telling stat from Woodward’s junior season is that he was targeted only twice all year, which speaks volumes about his ability to blanket WRs at that level.

Woodward’s length is impressive; he has quick feet, dissects plays well, and isn’t afraid to come downhill and tackle. That’s an area that excites me about his game. Getting off blocks and being an asset in the run game should allow him to be a playmaker on UW’s defense.