Luke Fickell Provides Key QB Updates as Spring Practice Resumes

Wisconsin football has returned from spring break and is back on the practice field.

With the Badgers officially a third of the way through their spring practice period, head coach Luke Fickell has already learned a lot about his 2026 squad.

In particular, Fickell has gotten to know his new-look quarterback room, which features three newcomers in Old Dominion transfer Colton Joseph, Louisville transfer Deuce Adams and true freshman Ryan Hopkins.

With Danny O'Neil injured and Carter Smith relegated down the depth chart, this is almost a brand-new group of gunslingers, especially at the top of the room. Watching film and winter conditioning only reveals so much — players really start to show you who they are when the ball starts flying around the practice field.

Five practices into spring ball, Fickell provided key updates on the development of his new signal-callers:

Colton Joseph

Since Joseph was signed out of the portal, Fickell has lauded him not only as a player but as a leader. He's immediately been tasked with not only revitalizing the Badgers' offense, but doing so with class, poise and the kind of leadership behind which an entire program can rally.

“Knowing first and foremost when he walks through the door, that he’s been put in the position to lead," Fickell said.

“You’re seeing him loosen up a little bit. It’s a high-stress position, a lot is piled on these guys' plates. Not just from the nature of the offense, but also the expectation thing too. There’s a guy with high expectations and he comes in, and you can see a little natural tightness; he wants to lead but he has so much to learn. Each and every day, especially practice-wise, he’s becoming a little more loose in what he’s doing," he continued.

"He’s one of those guys that on break, I reminded him, ‘you don’t need to go be throwing six days. We’ve done a lot of football since you’ve been here. There’s an opportunity, and you need to take it, to relax.”

Watching him play, Joseph's talent is undeniable. But he's never been publicly anointed as the leader of a Power Four offense — he bears a new level of responsibility in his junior season.

“I think there’s still a lot to learn," Fickell continued. "How much is on the plate coming into a new system with a lot of the things that we do offensively. It’s hard to judge, he dropped the ball on the first play of team today. He’s got great hands. You could just see the wheels that are turning, how much is on his plate. When the ball goes down and you just play, I’ve seen a little more of what he can do.”

Still, Fickell appears very pleased with the early returns on his prized portal signee.

"All those things that you thought you saw, we saw, those last couple years watching him play, it’s held true," he said.

There's also the question of if Joseph's play can translate from the Sun Belt to the Big Ten. Fickell had a concise response when asked about that: “Winning translates…It doesn’t matter what level it is, winning is winning."

Deuce Adams

By all accounts, Adams has impressed in spring practice as well. The quarterback has yet to get an extended opportunity in college football but boasts plenty of tools, namely mobility and a live arm.

“Deuce has done a really good job and he's in a position where it’s a little more difficult. You know everybody walking in the door, day one we go out there, Colton is gonna go with the ones. Deuce understands that, but he also believes and understands that everything is earned. No matter where you come in, it’s ultimately where you finish," Fickell said.

Wisconsin obviously hopes it never has to take Joseph off the field. But the Badgers' recent run of miserable injury luck at quarterback means they need to have a competent backup, and with the praise Fickell dished out, Adams could be well on his way to earning that role.

"He’s done a really good job through the winter, he’s come out here in spring in the first five practices and done a really good job of leading in his way, leading from his position. He’s got a lot more athleticism, speed and some things that maybe I would’ve known watching his film out of college. He’s a really good all-around football player that we’ve gotta give more opportunities to, maybe even some time with the ones.”

Ryan Hopkins

Hopkins is the Badgers' blazing fast freshman from the legendary Mater Dei high school in Santa Ana, California. He's clearly well down the depth chart, but Fickell likes the way the early enrollee has carried himself:

“He’s obviously beyond his years a little bit. I think coming out of the program which he did, and also transferring: he went to Mater Dei his senior year. He had to go compete to win the spot, he had to go play around a lot of great players, they were No. 1 in the country at one point in time. Maybe we don’t recognize how much that makes a guy grow. If there’s anything that you’ve seen from him walking in the door here, there’s a maturity level, there’s a growth not just in learning the offense but understanding what that position looks like at this level.”

Fickell has discussed the need to sign high schoolers who are ready to compete quickly. Hopkins' maturity is clearly a very enticing part of his game for this Wisconsin staff, and again, the early returns on the speedy gunslinger appear very positive.