Wrapping up our Wisconsin football spring analysis and looking ahead to fall camp, let’s end where it all begins: with the Badgers quarterbacks.
How does the QB lineup shape up as we transition from spring to fall camp? To begin our evaluation, let’s start with the bottom end of the Badgers depth chart and work our way toward the top.
Cole LaCrue isonceagain recovering from an injury inwhat seems to bea recurring theme. Don’t expect much from him because I’m expecting thathe will still be recovering come fall camp.
Unfortunately, when you have injuries piling up, you might be left behind by the time you get healthy. If LaCrue misses more significant time this year, with Landyn Locke coming in next year, his best chance of winning a Heisman long-term might come at the D2 level (Harland Hill Trophy). My apologies to the Cole LaCrue 4 Heisman Club.
Withthe departure of Nick Eversfrom the Wisconsin footballQBroom, Mabrey Mettauer has been getting all of the number three reps.
Mettauer earned some of the number three repseven before thatand solidified the number three job with Evers leaving.He even got some reps with the two’s as well.
He’s got a lot to learninwhat it takes to be a college quarterback, butI thinkhe can use Evers as an example of what not to do to earn a chance to move up the depth chart and how to be a college quarterback.
So, Mettauer’s future is bright. He’ll be an emergency quarterback this year, in the position to redshirt, and could push for playing time as a redshirt freshman next year. He’s earned the number three job, that’s for sure.
And now we get to the Wisconsin football team’s one and two.
As I’ve expected since the day hewas announcedas a transfer, I think Tyler Van Dyke has finally separated himself and has positioned himself to be the starter going into fall camp.
Again, the myth of the quarterback competition this spring. Of course, Braedyn Locke wants to be the starter. Locke played last year, earned playing time, andearned the number two joblastyear. He performed admirably when he needed to play. Locke’s competing to play, but as the spring has gone on and as Van Dyke has gotten more and more comfortable with the system, making his role more apparent.
Van Dyke, on the other hand, stacked good practice upon good practice at the end of the season and, in my opinion, has solidified the starting spot going into fall camp. The “competition” did its job. It showed TVD that he had to work to earn the job. It solidified Locke as a leader for this Wisconsin football team for the years to come. Competition brings the best out of everyone, even if the outcomeis set.
So, where does thatreallyleave Locke?He has worked hard;I thinkhe’s going tobe a valuable number-two quarterback this season.I thinkhe’sgoing tobe a strong candidate to be the starter next year, and if he wins the starting job next year, he’s got the starting job locked up for the next two years after that.
He’s a solid player and a big bowl of OK. Unfortunately for Locke, everything he does, Van Dyke does a little bit better. Van Dyke is bigger, stronger, andmore athletic than a traditional pro-style quarterback.
With Evers no longer in the fold, could we see them bring in a transferso they can get their numbers back up to five scholarship QBs going into fall camp?
The possibility is there, but as I said in my transfer targets video, I think at this point, they would be bringing in a transfer quarterback who could be an emergency guy but has positional value in other places, whether it be on special teams or as a gadget guy. Otherwise, there are four scholarship players and a walk-on for agrandtotal of five for practice.
With transfer priorities and a limited number of spaces available,I thinkPhil Longois going toroll with the group he has…but you never know.
So that’s the quarterbacks,and that concludesour look at the Wisconsin football offense post-spring.On purpose, Idid not mention very manyof the incomingfreshmen.They were not part of spring ball, and I don’t want to speculate on playerswhomI’ve never seen on a college football field.
In this new era of college football, the ability to enroll early is going an important factor. With moreand moreroster turnover every year it’s going to be important to show what you can do both on the football field and in the classroom early because you never know when the person ahead of you is going to transfer out or you’re going to be transferred over.
Wisconsin football fall camp is only, what, three months away? What are we going to talk about until then? Once I figure that out, you will surely be the first to know with fresh content, as even though we are in the true off-season of college football, the sport never sleeps!
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