WATCH: Former Wisconsin Badgers QB and WR connect for impressive touchdown pass in NFL preseason

Graham Mertz never got to throw a pass to Quintez Cephus in a Wisconsin Badgers regular season game, but the two are taking advantage of their college connection in the pros.

Aug 23, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Quintez Cephus (14) attempts to catch a pass against the Detroit Lions during the fourth quarter at Ford Field. | Eamon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Graham Mertz never got to throw a pass to Quintez Cephus in a Wisconsin Badgers regular season game, but the two are taking advantage of their college connection in the pros.

Both are now teammates on the Houston Texans, and they connected on an impressive touchdown pass Saturday against the Detroit Lions.

1️⃣8️⃣ ➡️ 1️⃣4️⃣

📺 : @abc13houston pic.twitter.com/M9xSnsNTCH

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) August 23, 2025

The former Badgers four-star quarterback recruit was a sixth-round pick by the Texans this spring after he spent his final two collegiate seasons at Florida.

Cephus was signed by Houston earlier this month as he tries to find his way back into the league.

The two players crossed over for only one year in Madison, when Mertz redshirted his true freshman season in 2019 as Cephus returned from being expelled by the school for sexual assault charges that he was later acquitted from.

With Alex Hornibrook under center, Cephus broke out as the team's leading receiver with over 900 yards and seven touchdowns, prompting him to enter the NFL Draft.

He had one year of eligibility left after missing the entire 2018 season due to the sexual assualt charges and expulsion.

Had he stayed for that final year, Cephus could have started building an even stronger connection with Mertz as he took over under center.

The wide receiver went onto be a fourth-round pick by the Detroit Lions and later ran into more trouble, getting suspended for a year for violating the NFL's gambling policy.

Now, both former Badgers are trying to show the Texans they belong on the 53-man roster with cutdown day around the corner.

Touchdowns like the one they made on Saturday can only help their chances.

More Wisconsin Badgers News:

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• Former Badgers linebacker signed to NFL roster after helping coach Wisconsin at fall camp