All Badgers

Wisconsin Badgers will have second chance at QB they rejected in transfer portal last year

The Wisconsin Badgers had a quarterback lined up in the transfer portal last year before they landed Billy Edwards. That same QB is back in the portal this winter if Luke Fickell wants a second chance.
Lorin Cox|
Oct 26, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Beau Pribula (9) runs for a first down against the Wisconsin Badgers during the third quarter at Camp Randall Stadium.
Oct 26, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Beau Pribula (9) runs for a first down against the Wisconsin Badgers during the third quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. | Mark Hoffman/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

In this story:

Wisconsin Badgers

In the transfer portal last winter, Penn State quarterback Beau Pribula thought he was going to join the Wisconsin Badgers.

At the last minute, Luke Fickell signed Billy Edwards Jr. instead, so Pribula headed to Missouri.

12 months later, neither side got the results they wanted with their respective decisions, but they'll have the opportunity to try again if they want.

Edwards is not expected to return to Wisconsin for 2026, and Pribula entered the transfer portal again after one season with the Tigers.

Related: Luke Fickell's non-answer about Billy Edwards Jr. told us everything we need to know

Pribula was a four-star recruit for Penn State in the Class of 2021.

He served as the backup to Drew Allar, and he had a strong showing when he stepped in for the starter in 2024 against the Badgers in Camp Randall Stadium.

Pribula completed 11 of 13 pass attempts for 98 yards and a touchdown, and he rushed for 28 yards on six carries.

Sign Up For the Wisconsin Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Wisconsin Badgers Newsletter

He did not have the success he was looking for as a starter at Missouri, though.

He missed two games with an ankle injury, and he finished the year with 11 touchdowns, nine interceptions and just under 2,000 passing yards.

Pribula certainly won't be Wisconsin's first choice in the transfer portal this winter.

But Fickell has hinted at adding multiple quarterbacks to have more quality depth at the position.

If Pribula can't find a better starting opportunity elsewhere, the Badgers could still be in play as a team where he could compete as a backup.

He is also expected to receive interest from Virginia Tech, where he could reunite with former Penn State head coach James Franklin.

More Wisconsin Badgers News:

Published
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.

Home/Recruiting