While it seems like things are falling off the rails for the Wisconsin football team due to so many players deciding they're going to enter the transfer portal, it's not all dark for Luke Fickell. He just put the finishing touches on a stellar 2025 class.
The class features 4-star quarterback Carter Smith, who was a huge get for Fickell and his coaches late in the process. Smith was once committed to Michigan, but opened things up not too long before Bryce Underwood flipped to the Wolverines.
When Smith decided to give the Badgers his verbal, he did so with no offensive coordinator in place for the team. Fickell made the tough but necessary call to fire Phil Longo, something Smith and his family knew all about. Despite that, Smith still picked UW, which Fickell knows couldn't have been easy.
Luke Fickell is thankful QB Carter Smith trusts his vision for the Badgers
“I think it does make it more difficult (recruiting a QB with no OC), but I think that if you do things the right way, and you can get people to trust and believe in you, there's a blind faith that's involved in a lot of the things that we're doing," Fickell said via Badger Blitz. "And I'll give Carter and his family a lot of props for that, like, you know, they were able to sit down, they were able to look me in the face, they were able to, you know, make an assessment on do we trust and believe in him?"
Smith wasn't the only QB to sign with the Badgers, as Landyn Locke, the younger brother of Braedyn Locke, also inked with Wisconsin as part of the 2025 class. Smith is a dual-threat QB, who can also make plays with his legs, which is great for the offense.
Throughout his recruitment, Smith picked up offers from Wisconsin, Michigan, Florida State, Boston College and many others. He's ranked the No. 15 QB in the country per the 247Sports Composite. Wisconsin landed a stud QB and it wasn't easy for the program, especially with no OC in town.
However, Fickell won a big recruiting battle because the entire Smith clan trusts the work he's doing. That's a great sign, as fans are hoping Smith can blossom into an elite talent for the program in the next few years.