Wisconsin football spring practices started today, and there is a lot of excitement for next season, especially under new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes. Head coach Luke Fickell and Grimes went out and grabbed two starting quarterbacks in the transfer portal with the idea of a quarterback competition for next season. Depending on which quarterback won the competition, the other would be a high-quality backup in case of injury or need.
Billy Edwards Jr. transferred in from the Maryland Terrapins and Danny O'Neil came from the San Diego State Aztecs. Both were starters at their respective programs last season and come in with college experience ready to compete for the Wisconsin Badgers quarterback opening. However, is the competition already over? It seems as if the official Wisconsin football social media account thinks so.
QB1 on Day 1@Billy_Edwards4 x #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/YUaKBhS4H9
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) March 13, 2025
Wisconsin football posts on social media that Billy Edwards Jr. is "QB1 on Day 1."
All along, the assumption was that Billy Edwards Jr. would win the job, but there was some hesitation that O'Neil could swoop in and take it. However, officially, it had never been said that Edwards was going to be the QB1. That seems to have changed, and now the team is marketing him as the top quarterback on the depth chart.
Could it have been just a "he's the QB1 just for today?" That would be unintentionally confusing and not something an official account would do. It truly does seem to indicate that Edwards is the guy Grimes and Fickell have identified as the quarterback starter for the 2025 season. We will see how much that changes as the spring develops, but for now, it may be Edwards' starting job to lose.
Wisconsin fans will pay particular attention to the quarterback position in the April 19th Spring Showcase. A lot of 2025's success will depend on Grimes, and now it appears, Edwards.