In only a matter of three days, the Wisconsin Badgers lost a pair of quarterbacks who won't be back for the 2025 season. That's right, Tyler Van Dyke surprised a lot of us when it was revealed that he'd be entering the transfer portal. He was one and done in Madison.
As for Braedyn Locke, he said after the loss to Minnesota that he was planning on sticking around, but things changed and he's also going to be suiting up for a different program next fall. The QB depth is suddenly a bit concerning for Luke Fickell and his coaching staff.
So, what next for the Badgers? It's obvious - Fickell needs to aggressively go after a QB in the portal once again to be his starter for 2025. There are plenty of solid options out there too, but the staff must move quickly to find a replacement for both Van Dyke and Locke.
Luke Fickell must be aggressive in finding a new starting QB in the portal
One of the names that had been linked with UW was Conner Weigman, but we know the Texas A&M transfer won't be suiting up for the Badgers. Weigman took a visit to Houston this week and he has already decided to sign with the Cougars.
Despite that, there are still plenty of other options out there, including Fernando Mendoza, Miller Moss, Matthew Sluka, Kaidon Salter and more potential targets. However, with visits taking place, players are surely going to be making their decisions soon.
This is something Fickell and new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes know, which is why they need to move quickly here. Wisconsin's new schedule for 2025 just came out, with this team looking ahead to next campaign. It's time to flush the brutal 2024, but a stud QB will make the difference in '25 potentially being a year to remember. Fickell must act fast.