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Wisconsin Badgers targeting second quarterback in transfer portal to develop behind Colton Joseph

The Wisconsin Badgers already got their starting quarterback in the transfer portal in Colton Joseph, but Luke Fickell is looking to add another name to his QB room in Madison.
Lorin Cox|
Kansas Jayhawks quarterback David McComb (16) has ties to the Wisconsin Badgers in the transfer portal.
Kansas Jayhawks quarterback David McComb (16) has ties to the Wisconsin Badgers in the transfer portal. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers already got their starting quarterback in the transfer portal, but Luke Fickell isn't done upgrading the position.

Colton Joseph from OId Dominion will be the unquestioned QB1, but the Badgers are looking at bringing in more depth behind him.

According to Evan Flood of Badger Blitz, Wisconsin is bringing in QB David McComb from Kansas for a visit this week.

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The quarterback himself hinted at his interest in Wisconsin on social media after one of his former Jayhawks teammates, LB Jon Jon Kamara, committed to the Badgers on Sunday.

McComb's ties to UW are much stronger than just a linebacker, though.

He was originally recruited to Kansas in the 2025 recruiting class by Jeff Grimes who was the Jayhawks offensive coordinator at the time but now holds the same position for the Badgers.

He ranked as a Top 65 QB in the country in his class by On3, who had him as a three-star recruit out of Edmund, Oklahoma.

McComb did not see the field this fall in his true freshman season, leaving him four years of eligibility remaining as he entered the portal this winter.

A reunion with Grimes in Madison makes a lot of sense for him to continue developing with the play-caller he first signed on with.

He won't have an opportunity to play early on, but a year or two on the bench could help him become the best version of himself before he would compete to start.

Related: New Wisconsin QB Colton Joseph wants to be Badgers version of Fernando Mendoza at Indiana

Plus, Wisconsin saw four different quarterbacks start games last season, so he could be called into action much sooner in the worst-case scenarios.

McComb would be competing with Badgers redshirt freshman Carter Smith, who played in the final four games this year and showed some upside with his mobility.

Wisconsin is also set to bring back QB Danny O'Neil, who transferred in last year but appeared to tear his Achilles mid-season, which could limit him in 2026.

That creates the need and the opportunity for a player like McComb to step in and compete to be QB2 this season.

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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.

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