All Badgers

New Wisconsin QB Colton Joseph wants to be Badgers version of Fernando Mendoza at Indiana

New Wisconsin Badgers transfer quarterback Colton Joseph wants to have the type of impact for Luke Fickell that Fernando Mendoza had for Curt Cignetti at Indiana.
Lorin Cox|
New Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph (1) runs for a touchdown against the Indiana Hoosiers as a member of the Old Dominion Monarchs
New Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph (1) runs for a touchdown against the Indiana Hoosiers as a member of the Old Dominion Monarchs | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

In this story:

Wisconsin Badgers

New Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph saw first-hand the type of impact that Heisman Trophy winnter Fernando Mendoza had at Indiana this season.

His Old Dominion Monarch's lost to the Hoosiers in the season opener, 27-14, despite Joseph rushing for a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the game.

Mendoza hasn't looked back in an undefeated season in the midst of a deep College Football Playoff run.

Joseph wants to be that same kind of difference maker for the Badgers.

In an interview with Jesse Temple at Badger Connect, he made the Mendoza comparison to his own situation, unprompted.

"They're on the right path with me coming in and some other pieces, and with all the hard work that we'll put in, I think there's a lot of potential," Joseph said. "Just like kind of how when Fernando Mendoza went to Indiana with Curt Cignetti and all of them. I think that could be something that happens here."

Sign Up For the Wisconsin Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Wisconsin Badgers Newsletter

Wisconsin fans shouldn't expect Joseph to come in and win the Heisman Trophy in his first season in Madison, but getting the quarterback right can be a total gamechanger for a program like this.

It's easy to get excited about the skillset he brings to the Badgers. He rushed for over 1,000 yards last year for Old Dominion in addition to 21 passing touchdowns.

He should be the most dynamic quarterback Wisconsin has seen since Tanner McEvoy was under center before converting to safety and wide receiver on his way to the NFL.

It remains to be seen how well Joseph's play-making will translate from the Sun Belt to the Big Ten, but maybe the better comparison for the Badgers quarterback is Trinidad Chambliss at Ole Miss.

Related: Why Colton Joseph will be high-risk, high-reward transfer QB for Wisconsin Badgers

He's rushed for over 500 yards and eight touchdowns this season while leading the SEC in passing yards in his first season since transferring in from Division-II Ferris State.

Chambliss has the Rebels exceeding expectations on a CFP run while answering every question about the step up in level of competition.

Wisconsin will have put a lot more talent around Joseph to have that kind of success this season, but the first step is getting the quarterback position right, and expectations will be high for the play-maker tasked with saving Fickell's job in 2026.

More Wisconsin Badgers News:

Published
Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

Home/Football