Wisconsin Football: Longo Talks Rebuilt QB Room, In-State LB Visiting, More

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 news you may have missed.

Phil Longo Talks About Wisconsin’s Rebuilt QB Room 

Wisconsin football will run an entirely different offensive scheme in 2023, thanks to the hiring of Phil Longo. 

The Badgers are transitioning from the run-heavy offense they’ve run dating back to the Barry Alvarez era — and will now run a modified “air raid” system that coach Longo has successfully run at several different collegiate stops. 

But the big question, at least in some people’s minds when Longo got hired, was who exactly would be UW’s QB1 — because there wasn’t a logical fit on the roster. 

The answer quickly became apparent; the new Wisconsin football coaching staff needed to dip into the transfer portal to find someone with a skill set that supported their short and long-term vision. 

“We were not at all happy with where the quarterback room was when we got here, just evaluating it,” Longo said. “We wanted a QB that was talented enough to do specific things in the system, and we felt like we needed to go to the portal to get that. So, we brought in Tanner Mordecai, Braedyn Locke, and Nick Evers, three quarterbacks who probably would not have considered Wisconsin with the previous offense. That’s not a knock on the previous offense — that’s just the truth. They want to be in a diverse system that can be more prolific and more explosive. This system provides that opportunity.”

Mordecai is the unquestioned starter heading into 2023. Still, it will also be intriguing to see how the pecking order shakes out behind him in spring practice/fall camp because it could offer a glimpse at the potential starting QB of the future. 

Wisconsin Football Will Get In-State ILB Back on Campus

According to a report from Ryan Burns of 247Sports, three-star linebacker Landon Gauthier out of Green Bay, Wisconsin, will return to Madison for an unofficial visit on April 11. 

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound LB plays for Bayport High School and is the No. 10 player in Wisconsin’s 2024 recruiting class.

As a junior, Gauthier registered 70 tackles, nine TFLs, one sack, and an interception in 11 games. 

You can watch his HUDL film here.

Gauthier holds offers from Minnesota, North Dakota State, Ohio, Syracuse, and Wyoming. He recently picked up a crystal ball projection for Wisconsin football after earning a scholarship offer from the Badgers on junior day. 

Other Wisconsin Football News

This recruitment was an oversight on my end because it happened two weeks ago. Still, Rivals recruiting expert Clint Cosgrove placed a FutureCast prediction on 2024 Four-star DE Kellen Lindstrom out of Springfield, Missouri, to end up in Madison.

According to the 247Sports composite, he is the No. 223 prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, the No. 24 DL in the country, and the No. 7 player in Missouri.

Lindstrom, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound DE/OLB, finished his junior season with 73 tackles, six TFLs, one sack, one fumble recovery, and a blocked kick.

You can watch his HUDL film here.

Additionally, the highly regarded pass-rusher was on campus for an unofficial visit back in November and was re-offered by the new coaching staff, who got him back to Madison for Junior day — where it appears UW made quite the impression.

Had a great time at @BadgerFootball Junior Day. Thank you @Coach_Mitch_ @_maximus347 @CoachMikeTress @CoachFick pic.twitter.com/thQAu3YUoO

— Kellen Lindstrom (@KellenLindstrom) January 30, 2023

Already off to a fantastic start in the 2024 cycle, Wisconsin football has their work cut out for them to land Lindstrom’s services because he’s also got offers from schools like Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, and several others.

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