Wisconsin Football Quarterback Shines During Badgers Pro Day

In his lone season with the Wisconsin Badgers football program, starting quarterback Tanner Mordecai didn’t light up the scoreboards and improve his NFL Draft stock as he intended. Still, Mordecai proved to be the leader this team needed during the transition to Luke Fickell. 

“He’s undoubtedly one of the best leaders I’ve been around,” Fickell said. 

Unlike Braelon Allen, Tanor Bortolini, and Maema Njongmeta, the sixth-year senior did not receive an invite to the NFL Combine. However, Mordecai took advantage of his chance to impress scouts at the Badgers’ pro day, held at the McClain Center. 

Mordecai registered a 4.46u 40-yard dash — which would have been the fastest for quarterbacks who took part at the combine, per NFL.com. Further, his 40-time would have placed him at No. 4 all-time among quarterbacks, behind only Anthony Richardson, RG3, and Reggie McNeal.

THE MAN CAN MOVE ‼️

4.46u for Mordecai 🤯 pic.twitter.com/tyIc3EsBjH

— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) March 15, 2024

Additionally, Mordecai recorded a 35.5″ vertical jump, which would have ranked him first at the NFL Combine regardless of position.

GET 🆙 THEN

36.5” for @t_mordecai would have ranked him 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 at the NFL Combine 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/PpfDVMPfzT

— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) March 15, 2024

As it stands, NFLMockDraftDatabase has the former Wisconsin football quarterback as the No. 489 overall prospect and going undrafted.

Remembering Tanner Mordecai’s Season With Wisconsin Football 

Nov 18, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Tanner Mordecai (8) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Tanner Mordecai started 10 games for Wisconsin in 2023. His accuracy was as advertised, completing an impressive 65.0% of his passes, totaling 2,066 yards, with nine touchdowns and a mere four interceptions. Notably, his 204 completions rank among the top six in program history, while his 2,066 passing yards stand as the 18th-highest in Badgers lore.

He was not just a threat through the air; Mordecai also contributed on the ground, amassing 302 rushing yards on 90 attempts, which was the most by a Wisconsin Badgers quarterback since 2014.

Despite adversity, including a broken throwing hand suffered against Iowa that required surgery, the Texas native demonstrated tremendous grit and dedication by returning to action less than a month later against Northwestern.

“There was never a hesitation at what he wanted to do and what he was going to do,” Fickell said. “There’s a guy that played on a broken hand after three and a half weeks or four weeks, couldn’t clap for four weeks out there, I mean, and there was never hesitation as to whether he was going to play in this game or not. And you know, for him to go out and not just play the way he did but practice the way he did lead the way that did to help us move our program forward and, and kind of set an example of what things can look like when you when you really dive all in.”

In pivotal moments late in the season, Mordecai showcased his dual-threat ability, rushing for over 50 yards in consecutive wins that helped the Badgers become bowl-eligible against Nebraska and Minnesota to close out the regular season.

His standout performance for the Wisconsin football program came in the ReliaQuest Bowl against No. 13 LSU. There, Mordecai showcased his arm talent, throwing for 378 passing yards and three touchdowns on 27-of-40 passing, marking the fifth-highest single-game passing yardage in Badgers history.

Tanner Mordecai was, at times, the heartbeat of the entire Wisconsin football offense and played with passion every time he ran out onto the field. I’ll remember him fondly and have no doubt that he’ll find success in whatever comes next — here’s to hoping he gets a chance in the NFL as an undrafted free agent.

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