Three Reasons Wisconsin's QB Room is Primed to Bounce Back This Fall

With spring practice in the books, we've got a pretty good idea of how the Wisconsin football team looks with summer workouts on the horizon.

Of course, there's still the entirety of fall camp in August, but after the first round of offseason practices, we know a lot more about each position group than we did this winter.

As we continue to process what we learned from spring ball, Badgers On SI begins a new series in which we'll provide a take on each position. Today, we kick things off with the quarterbacks — here's three reasons why Wisconsin's quarterback room is primed to bounce back this fall.

1. Depth is vastly improved

Wisconsin quarterback Ryan Hopkins. | Christian Borman.

Yes, my take is that the the Badgers' entire quarterback room is poised for a bounce-back this season after a dreadful three years — I'm not just focusing on the starter. One of the main reasons this room is in better shape is the significantly improved talent and experience up and down the depth chart.

If head coach Luke Fickell had it his way, Colton Joseph is the only quarterback he'd see on the field this fall. But recent morbid injury history gives us reason to believe that at the very least, the Badgers must have a capable backup ready and waiting.

For starters, there's actually a competition for the QB2 gig, which tells you there's more talent there than in recent years. Redshirt sophomore Deuce Adams and true freshman Ryan Hopkins battled it out all spring for the backup gunslinger role, a competition that will carry into fall camp. Adams has started at the Power Four level, while Hopkins obviously hasn't. But even past those two, there's passers with multiple starts at Wisconsin under their belt (Carter Smith, Danny O'Neil). Again, the talent in this room is obviously better than last fall, but the position is also more experienced and deeper.

2. Mobility isn't a necessity, it's an extra dimension

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

The Badgers' coaches have focused heavily on their quarterbacks' legs and ability to scramble when the play breaks down this offseason.

“Our coaches always emphasize scrambling. When the first play’s not there, there’s always a second play that’s within the play," Colton Joseph said this spring.

Last year's (short-lived) starting quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. had just enough athleticism to scramble and make some plays with his legs, but Joseph, who ran for 1,654 yards and 24 touchdowns in two seasons at Old Dominion is in an entirely different stratosphere athletically. Each quarterback on Wisconsin's current roster possesses above-average mobility and athleticism as well.

Now, in 2025, mobility was a necessity at times for Wisconsin's quarterbacks, especially when it deployed freshman Carter Smith who completed just 57 percent of his passes and never even hit 100 passing yards in a game. But this fall, mobility is no longer a necessity crucial for this offense's survival; it's an additional dangerous weapon for play-caller Jeff Grimes.

3. Colton Joseph

Wisconsin QB Colton Joseph. | Christian Borman.

Yes, the depth is improved, and yes, the talent in the room is more well-rounded. But it's no secret that if this position as a whole is going to take a step in the right direction, it starts with the man at the top of the pecking order.

There's no shortage of reasons as to why I believe Joseph is the most talented quarterback Fickell has had in Madison. He's still developing as a passer, but he has special gifts as an athlete and does things that many of his peers simply cannot. Again, the passing game won't always be humming as Joseph still needs to grow in that area, but he gives you a chance on every snap with his dynamic legs, electric arm and ability to keep any play alive.

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