Could this Wisconsin Badgers QB rise up the depth chart in spring ball?

Wisconsin football's spring practices are scheduled to kick off on March 19. With dozens of incoming transfers, a handful of new position coaches and a new starting quarterback once again, there'll be no shortage of intrigue when the Badgers hit the practice field.

At Badgers On SI, we'll preview spring ball position-by-position. Today, we kick things off with the quarterbacks.

Best Player

There's not much debate here: Old Dominion transfer Colton Joseph is without question the best player in this room, and he — like Maryland transfer Billy Edwards Jr. last offseason — should take every rep with the 1s.

While Joseph doesn't have any Big Ten experience yet, he's walks into Madison after a stint as a two-year starter at Old Dominion. Last season, he tossed for 2,624 yards, 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on 59.7 percent completion, also rushing for 1,007 yards and 13 touchdowns.

When you watch Joseph play, you see a dynamic dual-threat gunslinger whose top tools are his legs, ability to make off-schedule plays and his deep ball placement. He should fit seamlessly into offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes' run-first approach while providing Wisconsin with the most talented passer it's deployed in years.

Biggest Question

Who will earn the QB2 gig?

As mentioned, Joseph is locked into the QB1 role and I expect him to take virtually every snap with the first-team offense this spring. Still, there should be plenty of healthy competition behind him in quarterback coach Kenny Guiton's room.

Danny O'Neil returns to Madison after an iffy 2025 season with the Badgers. However, the lower body injury he sustained in the win over Washington looks like its going to bleed over into 2026; he may be out of the picutre, at least initially.

Realistically, that leaves redshirt freshman Carter Smith and redshirt sophomore Deuce Adams as the prime candidates to back up Joseph.

Smith flashed intriguing ability with his legs in four games, but still has plenty of developing to do as a passer. Adams, meanwhile, has just one career start but is quite an athlete as well. This is the primary position battle to keep an eye on at gunslinger.

Player to watch

Deuce Adams. For several reasons.

Again, Adams and Smith are similar players in that they both boast similar skills with their mobility and both have a distinct lack of experience. But Adams looks like the slightly more polished passer at this point in his career, and that should allow him to earn some reps with the second-team offense rather quickly.

If the Badgers had it their way, Joseph is the only player who'd take a snap this season. But recent history — a morbid injury history, to be precise — suggests otherwise. Wisconsin must have a competent backup quarterback waiting in the wings. That's why Adams' development will be critical to track across 15 practices.

Most to gain

Carter Smith.

With the addition of Joseph, a high-profile, highly productive guaranteed starter, and the addition of Adams, a high-upside physical specimen, it makes sense that Smith is the forgotten man in this quarterback room.

Still, don't count out the firery Florida native. His mobility is a legitimate weapon, especially considering he has no qualms about absorbing contact as a ball-carrier. What's more, though his passing numbers look dismal (26-of-46, 201 yards, 4.4 yards-per-attempt), he does appear to have the goods in that department; his arm just needs some refining.

That's why with a good spring, Smith could very fasibly rise up the quarterback pecking order. The QB2 gig is there for the taking, and while he likely enters the spring as the de-facto QB4 (counting a banged-up Danny O'Neil), he'll have every opportunity to turn heads and win the backup job.

One bold prediction

Adams versus Smith is one of the most entertaining position battles all spring.

In fact, I expect this battle to carry over into fall camp. Joseph, with his tantalizing athleticism, will certainly make some eye-popping plays and garner plenty of attention. But he's locked into the starting role regardless; nothing is at stake, quarterback-wise, when the first team offense is on the field. But the QB2 spot? It's wide open, and that should lead to fireworks.

Again, as of last season, Adams is the more developed passer. But after a winter of training and conditioning, it'll be fascinating to see how both players look when they get a shot with the second-team offense.

Projected depth chart

Projected Quarterback Depth Chart
1. Colton Joseph
2. Deuce Adams
3. Carter Smith
4. Ryan Hopkins
5. (Injured) Danny O'Neil