How does Wisconsin’s quarterback room look after spring ball?
The Wisconsin Badgers are fully in offseason mode, having completed spring ball last month, so let’s go position-by-position and break down every group, starting with the quarterbacks.
Wisconsin completely revamped its quarterback room this offseason, as it brought in transfers Billy Edwards Jr. and Danny O’Neil to offset the losses of Tyler Van Dyke, Braedyn Locke, and Mabrey Mettauer, while also adding four-star Carter Smith in their 2025 class.
Lastly, they brought in Southern Illinois transfer Hunter Simmons from the spring transfer portal, who joined his former offensive coordinator, Blake Rolan, in Madison. Rolan is the team’s assistant wide receivers coach.
So, they have a brand new quarterback room for offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes, who prefers mobile quarterbacks that can have success in a vertical passing attack.
Starter: Billy Edwards Jr.
There’s no question that Billy Edwards is the starter at quarterback. In fact, Danny O’Neil came into Madison understanding that it would likely be the situation in 2025.
Edwards has a plus arm with solid mobility, and both were seen this spring during the team’s practices, which I attended most of.
But, there were definitely consistency issues. Edwards had some ugly days and had a penchant for some poor decisions that turned into turnover-worthy plays. He also had some really strong days where he connected well with receivers, shining in certain two-minute moments and situational reps.
Ultimately, I think there are concerns to be had at the quarterback position, as I’m not sure how Edwards’s overall mold compares to Wisconsin’s past two starters: Tyler Van Dyke and Tanner Mordecai.
What I do feel is that his athleticism will be used more than we saw in the spring during the season. Grimes has valued that aspect, which could lead to more bootlegs and designed runs to add an extra element to the offense. With more under-center work as well, Wisconsin will force defenses to account for the quarterback.
But, the Badgers have a tough set of opponents this year and a worse pass-blocking offensive line than they did in 2024, especially with Kevin Heywood now expected to miss the entire season with a torn ACL.
That won’t work in Edwards’s favor. But, he has a solid core of deep threats with Vinny Anthony and Jayden Ballard, while Trech Kekahuna will return in the fall after being sidelined with a foot injury in the spring.
From a leadership aspect, the senior has quickly commanded the respect of the room, which is a good sign as Wisconsin goes through a transitional period.
I have questions about what Edwards’s ceiling is in this offense. He tends to have mechanical issues that lead to accuracy woes at times, and Wisconsin’s offensive nucleus isn’t the strongest overall. But, if he can become more consistent, he’ll be a quality option at quarterback for the Badgers in 2025, potentially leading them to a bowl game.
Backups: Danny O’Neil/Hunter Simmons
O’Neil came in as the expected backup after starting his true freshman year at San Diego State. Initially from Indiana, he returns to the Midwest and is a quality option for the future.
Initially, when seeing O’Neil, he seemed a tad undersized for the position at 6’0, 200 pounds. And, early on, he looked like a quarterback who had some developing to do.
O’Neil’s biggest issue early on was processing. He’d get caught in the pocket working slowly on progressions too often, leading to sacks and busted plays. But, he got more comfortable as the month went along, beginning to show his athleticism and penchant for making plays.
Despite his size, the sophomore has a quality arm, delivering some nice deep balls throughout the spring with good touch and accuracy. He still plays out of structure a tad too often, but has a moxie to him that has also made him a leader in the room, despite being an underclassman.
The size will always be the main concern, as the offense had a batted ball issue at times in the spring. But, O’Neil developed a good amount throughout the spring, showing his potential, and should go into the fall as the No. 2 option.
Wisconsin also added Hunter Simmons, a graduate transfer, from Southern Illinois. Simmons doesn’t have much experience, throwing for a career-high 852 yards in 2024, completing only 57 percent of his passes on 6.7 yards per attempt.
He has good size at 6’3, 215 pounds, and provides experience and depth at a position where Wisconsin will welcome those assets. But, he probably will be the No. 3 quarterback in the room this offseason, giving the Badgers some insurance in case they face injury woes for the third straight year.
Developmental: Carter Smith
Smith came in as one of the more highly-touted quarterback recruits for Wisconsin in recent memory, as the four-star was a late flip in the Class of 2025.
However, he came to Wisconsin as a developmental option, flashing with his dual-threat ability. Smith has a solid arm, although maybe not as strong as advertised. But, his real talent comes when working out of structure, as he’s able to make plays on the run and with his legs.
He’s still got quite a while to go, and will need to work on his abilities inside the pocket, getting better at accuracy, going through progressions, and timing with receivers. The talent is there. It’s all about the development aspect for Smith now and how quickly that will come to fruition.
He has a good frame, though, at 6’3, 200 pounds, which should continue to grow, and the intangibles that will help him in the future. For now, he’s probably the No. 4 quarterback for Wisconsin in the fall.