Here's Why The Badgers' QB Disaster Last Fall Could Actually Help Them in 2026

It wouldn't be hyperbole to say Wisconsin fans are starved for good — nay, passable — quarterback play.

The position has been an abject disaster under head coach Luke Fickell due to a mind-numbing combination of injuries and awful performances.

Last season, all of those issues hit a crescendo and the Badgers just about bottomed out at quarterback.

After their QB1 Billy Edwards Jr. suffered a non-contact knee injury in the opener, backup Danny O'Neil was very underwhelming, and was ultimately benched for FCS transfer Hunter Simmons. Simmons then got himself benched upon O'Neil's return, who proceeded to sustained a season-ending lower body injury, forcing Wisconsin to turn to true freshman Carter Smith.

The revolving door of quarterbacks led to the Badgers starting four different signal-callers throughout the 2025 campaign. It's honestly hard to imagine the quarterback situation getting any worse than it did last year, and the constant rotation and incompetence at the position meant Wisconsin finished with the 130th-ranked passing offense in the nation with 136.4 passing yards per game. That was dead last in the Power Four, and three of the four teams below the Badgers are programs that run the triple-option offense.

Still, for as comically poor as Wisconsin's quarterback situation was last fall, I believe it might actually help the Badgers in 2026. Here's how:

Wisconsin has more manpower and experience at QB

Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Carter Smith. | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

One of the reasons the Badgers' quarterback situation was so bad last fall is because they only had one player who was even remotely ready for the Big Ten level, and we're still not so sure how Edwards would've played had he remained healthy.

O'Neil was a starter as a freshman at San Diego State, but that was a step down in competition in the Mountain West, and that Aztecs team also went 3-9 in 2024.

Simmons had FCS experience, and that clearly helped with his poise, but he was far from a Big Ten-caliber quarterback.

Smith, meanwhile, was a true freshman and for as promising as his legs were, he could hardly complete a forward pass.

The top backups in Madison right now are likely Louisville transfer Deuce Adams and true freshman Ryan Hopkins, but even so, the Badgers now have a staple of seasoned gunslingers in the room. For as poorly as 2025 went, the Big Ten starting experience that both O'Neil and Smith received can only be beneficial for their development. Add in the fact that they have a distinct possibility of being the QB4 and QB5, respectively, and you have to feel a lot better about this room as a whole.

Wisconsin's quarterback depth is improved, but perhaps more importantly, it's significantly more experienced.

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