The Wisconsin Badgers will be starting their backup quarterback on Saturday against Middle Tennessee. If Wisconsin history is any indication of how this will go, it won't be pretty. The drop-off over the last few seasons from starter to backup has been startling; however, according to star wide receiver Vinny Anthony II, that won't be a problem. Danny O'Neil is very good, and really, there's not much of a difference between what Danny brings and what starter Billy Edwards Jr. brings to the table.
This is a surprising claim considering how the drop-off from starter to backup usually goes. When Wisconsin lost Tanner Mordecai, the drop-off to Braedyn Locke was extreme. Then it happened again when Tyler Van Dyke got injured, and once again, Locke was running the show. It was rough.
Vinny Anthony II thinks that Danny O'Neil is just as good as Billy Edwards Jr.
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Anthony says the same won't be true when Edwards Jr. goes down. "There's not much of a difference [between Edwards and O'Neil]. They can both throw the ball, they are both here for a reason, and they showcase that. So, there's not really much of a difference."
Anthony said he was talking to his dad about this in the spring when his dad was asking about the two former starting quarterbacks. He told his dad then, and he's telling reporters now, they are both really good and could start for this team.
This is exactly what head coach Luke Fickell was trying to do this offseason. Ensure the transition from the starting quarterback to the backup doesn't derail the season. He went out and got two that could start for Wisconsin because now, it's proving that both will have to start. And now, because Fickell did that, they won't have to adjust the offense to accommodate Danny. He can run the same system that Billy Edwards Jr. was planning to run.