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Former Wisconsin Badgers QB working to come back for 7th collegiate season after surgeries

If he plays next year, the former Wisconsin Badgers quarterback with be 25 years old and in his seventh collegiate season after a long road of injury recovery.
Lorin Cox|
Sep 7, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Tyler Van Dyke (10) looks to throw a pass during the third quarter against the South Dakota Coyotes at Camp Randall Stadium.
Sep 7, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Tyler Van Dyke (10) looks to throw a pass during the third quarter against the South Dakota Coyotes at Camp Randall Stadium. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

When Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Tyler Van Dyke tore his ACL against the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2024, many people assumed his career was over.

He had been a four-year starter looking to cement his NFL resume, and the injury would mean a long road to recovery.

A full year later, he has his sights set on continuing his football career — at the college level, for his seventh year in school.

In a new interview with ESPN, Van Dyke detailed his career path and recovery, revealing that his injury at Wisconsin was even worse than it looked.

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He only played in three games for the Badgers before the injury, preserving his eligibility for the season.

That allowed him to transfer this offseason to SMU, where he reunited with one of his former Miami coaches while he went through his rehabilitation.

The injury recovery has kept him out of this season as well, so he is working toward a comeback in 2026 and told ESPN he is looking to be a starter in his seventh collegiate season at the age of 25.

Wisconsin never got to see what he was fully capable of in Phil Longo's offense. Van Dyke played well against Western Michigan and South Dakota in non-conference play, but he never made it to the Big Ten slate.

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The Badgers have yet to find consistent quarterback play since he left, with Billy Edwards Jr. joining him in the injury curse for Wisconsin transfers under center.

The hope is that 2026 can bring fully healthy season for whoever the Badgers quarterback is and for Van Dyke, wherever he plays.

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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.

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