Coach Luke Fickell at Spring Camp - Badger Wire Photo
MADISON, WI (WSAU) – The Wisconsin Badgers football team is back in uniform, and fans are getting their first glimpses of this newly remodeled squad.
The Badgers added a lot of new faces this season, finishing with the sixth-best overall transfer class in the country. Former SMU quarterback and Davey O’Brien Award Semifinalist Tanner Mordecai, former USC wide receiver CJ Williams, the 2022 No. 29 overall player in the nation according to Rivals and No. 46 according to 247Sports, and former Temple defensive end Darian Varner are among the big names making an early impact.
Head Luke Fickell spoke about the quarterback room after practice this morning saying, “We’re trying not to over evaluate where the guys are and we gotta do a little better job making sure that the reps are a little more balanced at times but we try to stay out of saying who’s with the one’s, who’s with the two’s and who’s with the three’s.”
Graham Mertz, who started at quarterback last year, transferred to Florida, while former backup Chase Wolf also left the team during the offseason, completely overhauling the quarterback room. The early favorite to land the starting job is Tanner Mordecai, but former Mississippi State Bulldog Braedyn Locke and Oklahoma Sooner Nick Evers are anticipated to make it interesting.
“I think you’re really starting to see how guys can handle things and some would say well you’re looking to see the physicality because you put pads on and that’s like fourth on the list I mean if you’re out here in the spider practices they still become pretty physical,” Fickell told 247 Sports about the intensity he’s looking for as the season approaches.
Under new offensive coordinator Phil Longo, the Badgers offense is expected to play much differently this season. Longo is well-known for his use of the “Air Raid” offense, which involves a lot of deep throws and spreading the ball around. Longo stated during his introductory press conference, “We want to line up sideline to sideline, and then we want to stretch and threaten the defense vertically.”
The spring scrimmage game for the Badgers will be held on Saturday, April 22nd at 1 p.m. The school has dubbed the scrimmage “The Launch” because it will be the fans’ first official look at the team in action. The event is free, and tickets can be reserved at UWBadgers.com.
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