Wisconsin Football: Biggest Questions Heading into Spring Practice

Quarterback Conundrum

The Badgers have a huge decision to make at the quarterback position.

Right now, Wisconsin has plenty of options to choose from. It just isn’t clear yet which of the options will be the best. Luckily for the Badgers, they have some time to figure it all out.

Wisconsin has two QB’s with starting experience – Joel Stave and Tanner McEvoy.

The 2014 season opened with McEvoy as the starting quarterback, and the decision looked great in the first half of the season opener against LSU. That quickly turned on the Badgers, as it was evident McEvoy struggled in the pocket.

Stave took over as the starter, and was a little better, but still struggled to throw the ball downfield. Stave, a redshirt senior in 2015, does have more experience than all the other quarterbacks on roster for Wisconsin, but he is anything but a lock to start as spring practice gets underway.

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McEvoy, a former juco transfer and a redshirt senior, likely doesn’t project to be the starter, either. After struggling a season ago, he also seems a perfect fit to switch from offense to defense. He has played defense before – most recently in the Outback Bowl – is clearly a talented athlete, and would help fill a position of need. I’ve written before that I believe moving McEvoy to defense would be a win-win for the Badgers.

Beyond the two experienced players, Wisconsin has a bevy of inexperienced players. Bart Houston has the most play time of the group, but it came mostly as a rugby-style punter last season. D.J. Gillins, Thad Armstrong and Connor Senger round out the group of returning players; each will be given the opportunity to win some play time.

The Badgers also add a pair of incoming players into the mix, two quarterbacks in the recruiting class of 2015 who are enrolled early and on campus.

Alex Hornibrook is a 6-4, 215 pound lefty thrower who followed Paul Chryst to Wisconsin after being recruited to play at Pitt. Austin Kafentzis, a 6-1, 200 pound dual-threat QB, stuck with his commitment to Wisconsin after Gary Andersen, who recruited him for years, split for Oregon State.

Both young QB’s have the added benefit of spring practice to prepare to compete for the starting gig.

The quarterback competition is truly up in the air, and spring practice will likely give us an idea of who has the edge heading into summer ball.

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