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Wisconsin Badgers had another transfer portal QB target in mind before landing Colton Joseph

The Wisconsin Badgers got the transfer portal QB they wanted in Colton Joseph from Old Dominion, but Luke Fickell had another one in mind if he didn't work out.
Lorin Cox|
The Wisconsin Badgers recruited Notre Dame quarterback Kenny Minchey in the transfer portal before landing Colton Joseph from Old Dominion.
The Wisconsin Badgers recruited Notre Dame quarterback Kenny Minchey in the transfer portal before landing Colton Joseph from Old Dominion. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers are fully confident in Colton Joseph as their new starting quarterback for 2026.

Luke Fickell made it clear the dual threat from Old Dominion was the one they wanted, and they believe he will lead the team to more success in 2026.

But the Badgers' head coach was also recruiting other QBs in the portal, in case things didn't line up with Joseph.

According to CBS Sports college football writer Chris Hummer, Wisconsin was also heavily targeting former Notre Dame quarterback Kenny Minchey.

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Hummer reported that Minchey "had also been recruited hard" by Wisconsin before he initially committed to Nebraska and later flipped that commitment to Kentucky.

Given how Minchey left the Cornhuskers at the altar, Fickell seemed to have avoided a potential scramble by going all in on Joseph instead.

The Notre Dame transfer evidently wasn't the only other QB the Badgers had on their radar, according to the report.

Wisconsin looked at several quarterbacks in the portal, including Minchey, but they eventually zeroed in on Old Dominion's Colton Joseph as their top target. Joseph was a popular name with those like Florida State and UCF recruiting him hard.
Chris Hummer, CBS Sports

It presents an interesting "what if" to follow in the coming years, to see how Minchey does for Kentucky compared to what Joseph accomplishes for Wisconsin.

A similar dynamic played out last winter, when the Badgers signed Billy Edwards after initially pursuing Beau Pribula in the portal.

Related: Ex-Penn State 4-star QB wanted to transfer to Wisconsin until Badgers added Billy Edwards Jr.

Edwards' injury makes direct comparisons impossible, but Pribula went to Missouri and threw for more yards and touchdowns in 10 games than all of Wisconsin's quarterbacks combined, with a higher completion percentage too.

Both quarterbacks entered the portal again this offseason, with Edwards heading to North Carolina and Pribula jumping to Virginia.

Fickell is betting on Joseph being the best of the bunch.

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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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