Wisconsin Football Coach Wants Transfer to ‘Come Out of His Shell’

Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers staff held their second spring football practice of the offseason on Tuesday morning.

Much like the first spring practice session, the Badgers reportedly split first-team quarterback reps between Tyler Van Dyke and Braedyn Locke. This split was to be expected, considering that Phil Longo made it clear that this was an open competition for the starting job.

However, Coach Fickell wants to see the graduate transfer ‘come out of his shell’ which should allow him to take a step forward as a leader — like the Badgers had last season with Tanner Mordecai.

“I want to see him kind of continue to come out of his shell,” Fickell told reporters. “But he’s in a battle as well. So I think that for him learning the offense and repping and working with a guy that’s been in the offense that knows it like the back of his hand in Braedyn, I think that puts a little bit more pressure on him. But I think he’s done a great job. I think we’re going to continue to see him kind of come out of his shell and not just as a football player but as a leader as well.”

Van Dyke was brought in with the idea that he’d lead the Wisconsin football team’s offense in 2024, giving younger options like Locke, Nick Evers, and Mabrey Mettauer time to develop. If someone else emerges as the starter, it’ll be because they’ve proven to be the most consistent and productive quarterback in practice.

The 6-foot-4 quarterback joins the Wisconsin football program with 28 starts under his belt, making him by far and away the most experienced option on the roster. Van Dyke also threw for 7,469 passing yards, 54 touchdowns to 23 picks, and has a career completion rate of 63.7%.

“I mean, obviously, we are very pleased with what Tyler has to offer, or we wouldn’t have brought him in,” Longo said of Van Dyke during bowl prep. “But he’s got a lot of experience. He’s a mentally tough kid. He’s very bright. Obviously, he’s tall and rangy, and he can he can throw it all over the yard; he can make all the throws.”

Last season, the Badgers’ passing attack struggled mightily. Wisconsin finished 72nd in passing yards, 108th in passing efficiency, and managed just one game with over 300 passing yards.

Van Dyke has 11 games where he eclipsed that 300-yard passing mark from his time with the Hurricanes and could potentially help elevate the team’s passing offense.

It’s just the second spring practice for the Wisconsin football team, so I wouldn’t overanalyze Coach Fickell’s remarks. However, it’s evident that he aims to push Van Dyke to step up and assume a leadership role for this team.

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