What Chase Wolf's injury means for the Wisconsin QB room
Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst confirmed that backup quarterback Chase Wolf suffered a leg injury during fall practice last week during his weekly press conference on Monday.
The injury is reportedly a torn meniscus, and he recently underwent surgery to repair it. According to Dario Melendez, who first reported the news, Wolf is likely to miss the entirety of the 2022 season, though Chryst would not put a specific timeline on his recovery.
A redshirt senior, Wolf, was not in contention for significant snaps this year, barring an injury to starter Graham Mertz, but his absence does leave the team searching for a new backup quarterback.
With that in mind, here are three ways the injury impacts the Wisconsin Badgers this season.
Lack of experience behind Mertz
With Wolf no longer available, the Badgers now have three freshmen on the roster behind Graham Mertz. While each possesses a level of upside that intrigues the staff and fans, none of them have taken a snap in a collegiate game.
Deacon Hill is the most likely candidate to back up Mertz after redshirting a season ago and acting as the team's scout team quarterback in 2021. He has the most experience of the three and is the highest-rated recruit of the bunch. A former four-star recruit by 247 Sports, Hill ultimately chose Wisconsin over UCLA and others. With a big arm and an ability to extend plays with his legs when necessary, Hill has many of the intangibles you look for in a quarterback, and he appeared to take a nice step from the spring to the fall.
However, he did not receive many snaps with the second-team players in the four practices available to media members, as Wolf was the definitive No. 2 option behind Mertz.
The same can be said for true freshman Myles Burkett who signed with the Badgers as part of the 2022 recruiting class. He participated in spring practice as an early enrollee, which should give him a better feel of the offense heading into the season, but being game ready is a tall task for any young quarterback in his situation.
An in-state prospect from Franklin (Wis.), Burkett looked good in the limited reps media members saw from him in the spring, and it will be interesting to see if he can push Hill for the backup role.
Then there is Marshall Howe, who is also in his first season with Wisconsin after walking on this summer. The three-star quarterback chose the Badgers over other suitors and is another candidate for the backup job.
Head coach Paul Chryst noted that there isn't much separation at this juncture. "I couldn't sit here right now and tell you who is further ahead or not. You know, Deacon has certainly had more overall reps and Myles had the spring and what he got in camp," Chryst said on Monday.
Non-conference auditions
Paul Chryst mentioned that the timing of Wolf's injury is not ideal, saying, "it's always a little bit more difficult at this point" of the season.
However, Wisconsin's non-conference slate could provide offensive coordinator Bobby Engram and the staff an opportunity to develop the young quarterbacks through in-game reps.
While it is unlikely that the Badgers will be able to use Hill, Burkett, or Howe against Washington State in Week 2, Wisconsin does face an FCS foe this Saturday in Illinois State. Additionally, the Badgers welcome New Mexico State to Camp Randall in Week 3, and the Aggies have won eight total games in the last four seasons.
The hope has to be that Wisconsin can rest Mertz in the latter stages of those games and allow Hill, Burkett, or Howe to earn valuable reps. Injuries can pop up at any point of the season, and allowing the freshmen to cut their teeth in a low-risk setting can go a long way, just in case.
Chryst believes the Badgers will need to prioritize reps for the young group of QBs, saying, "they've all got to get some work because they are in the stage where they need to keep developing." Chryst also said, "I think all of them have done a good job of kind of the preparing, the mental side of it, and now [are] going to get some more reps," during Monday's press conference.
Need to keep Graham Mertz healthy
One of the biggest changes the Wisconsin Badgers made this off-season was shifting Bob Bostad back to coach the offensive line.
The move comes after UW struggled, at times, to protect the quarterback and generate the level of push needed in the run game.
Under new leadership and with a pair of new tackles, it is imperative that the line now protect Mertz at all costs with Wolf out of the picture.
An injury to Mertz, a multi-year starter, would dramatically shift expectations for the season and force the team to alter their strategy on offense.
Wolf's injury will also mean Mertz must be careful when running and make smart decisions to escape big hits. While I do not believe Wolf's injury will alter what Bobby Engram will dial-up in the first few games, I do think there might be occasions where the team keeps an extra blocker to help protect Mertz against some of the more talented defensive lines on their schedule, namely Ohio State.
Related links:
- Three former Wisconsin players make the NFL Top 100 for 2022
- Paul Chryst press conference recap for Illinois State
- Wisconsin releases depth chart and injury report for Week 1
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