Wisconsin Football: Top 3 position battles to watch this spring

No. 1 – Quarterback

Projected depth chart

1.Jack Coan

2. Graham Mertz

Also in the mix: Chase Wolf, Danny Vanden Boom

What to watch for

The competition at quarterback is easily the most highly-anticipated positional battle of this year’s spring practices, and it isn’t even close. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that this is the most captivating preseason storyline for Wisconsin in recent memory.

With Alex Hornibrook having transferred to Florida State, Paul Chryst has signaled that this will be an open competition at the position between returning signal callers Jack Coan, Chase Wolf, and Danny Vanden Boom as well as ballyhooed true freshman Graham Mertz. However, while Wolf and Vanden Boom have flashed traits that hint at the potential to be starting quarterbacks at this level at points throughout their young careers, this thing will most likely come down to Coan and Mertz.

Right now, Coan would unquestionably be Paul Chryst’s starter if the season started tomorrow.

Unlike his competitors, the junior from Long Island has legitimate experience in meaningful snaps. He played in five games with four starts last season when Hornibrook was out with recurring symptoms from a head injury, putting up 515 passing yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions. While Coan had some encouraging performances and showed glimpses of a being a competent starter, we also saw plenty of struggles and poor decisions from him to balance things out. As a result, the opportunity is there for the taking for the other members of Wisconsin’s quarterback room-specifically Mertz- to vault themselves to the top of the pecking order with a big spring.

If a true freshman is ever going to be Paul Chryst’s opening day starter at quarterback, this is the year. The highest-rated recruit at the position for Wisconsin in the recruiting rankings era, Mertz obviously possesses enormous talent to go along with exceptional confidence and leadership ability. Simply put, he has all the tools in the toolbox to be one of the best to ever suit up for the Badgers when all is said and done.

The burning question that we all can’t wait to have answered this spring is where Mertz is currently at in his development. The All-American Bowl MVP operated out of a spread offense in high school, and fans are hoping that he has made big strides in adapting to Wisconsin’s pro-style offense since enrolling in January.

If Mertz comes out during spring practices and plays like the inexperienced true freshman that he is, it would take a massive fall camp from him to come from behind and catch Coan for the starting gig. However, if Mertz puts together an impressive performance over the next few weeks, that will obviously spell some major trouble for Coan. After all, if the freshman phenom has adapted to a big-time college program that quickly, imagine where his development will be at by the time the season comes around.

All stats courtesy of UWBadgers.com