What Billy Edwards Jr. has to do to be a Top 10 QB in the Big Ten this season

As various college football outlets rank the top quarterbacks in the Big Ten for this upcoming season, Wisconsin Badgers transfer Billy Edwards Jr. consistently ranks outside of the Top 10.

It's understandable given how things fell off for the Maryland Terrapins late last season. He's going to have to re-prove himself among the better quarterbacks in the conference.

That doesn't mean he has to shock the country with 4,000 yards and a Heisman run. He just has to lean on his experience and run Jeff Grimes' offense efficiently.

Put play-makers in position to make plays

Nov 23, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Vinny Anthony II (8) catches a pass against Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Malcolm Hartzog Jr. (7) during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Edwards Jr. doesn't have to do it all. Luke Fickell went out and added weapons like Dekel Crowdus, Jayden Ballard and Lance Mason in the transfer portal to help make the quarterback's job easier.

The quarterback shouldn't need to drop dimes up and down the field for this Badgers offense to succeed.

He just needs to get the ball in Vinny Anthony II's hands with room to run, and Edwards will get full credit for all of the yards after catch.

Screen passes and check downs might not be as exciting, but both should be effective weapons in the offensive arsenal.

Take care of the football

Billy Edwards finds Dylan Wade for a 28-yard touchdown to open the fourth quarter.

Maryland leads 24-17 after the extra point. pic.twitter.com/8nQjI9gOK8
— Testudo Times (@testudotimes) September 7, 2024

The main thing Edwards Jr. can't do is turn the ball over.

Last year, Braedyn Locke threw an interception in all but one of his starts, and he added six fumbles along the way.

That made life more difficult for an offense that was already struggling to find a rhythm with its backup taking over.

Edwards Jr. had some turnover issues late in the season, but over his first five games, he had only two interceptions to go with 11 passing touchdowns.

It can be frustrating to watch a quarterback take a sack or throw the ball away when a play breaks down, but sometimes that's a better alternative to putting a pass in harms way and setting the opponent up with great field position.

Step up when the offense needs it most

Nov 23, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. (9) throws from the pocket during the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at SECU Stadium. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

As much as the Badgers will try to take the pressure off of Edwards Jr. and make his job easy, sometimes the team is going to need him to make a play on his own.

With a schedule as daunting as Wisconsin's, the team will inevitably face key third and fourth down situations where the quarterback has to take over.

That doesn't have to look like his finest Patrick Mahomes impression. It's more about stepping up in a messy pocket and finding the late-breaking receiver who comes open at the last second before the pass rush gets home.

He's not going to be perfect. He's going to make mistakes. But if Edwards Jr. can just make a key play or two at the most critical moments of the game, Wisconsin will have a Top 10 quarterback in the Big Ten this season.

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