As we enter the month of July, it’s time to look at the position groups for the Wisconsin Badgers! Our first position group we’ll look at is the quarterbacks. There’s no competition and no drama as Graham Mertz is clearly the starter. Let’s take a look at the group as a whole.
Starter: Graham Mertz
Mertz leads the quarterbacks and begins his third year as the man under center. There’s no doubt this is an important year for Mertz. He hasn’t lived up to the four-star expectations to this point in his career. Between COVID, injuries and simple mistakes, it’s been a roller-coaster start for Mertz.
Last season, Mertz competed 59% of his passes for 1,958 yards with 10 touchdowns and 11 picks. It’s this simple: He was good against lesser opponents and bad against the better teams. It’s not the start Wisconsin fans were hoping for but this year will be one to watch for the redshirt junior.
Backup: Chase Wolf or Deacon Hill
While there isn’t a debate on the starter, I believe there will be a competition for the No. 2. Chase Wolf has had this position for the last few seasons. In 2021, Wolf completed 50% of his passes for 124 yards and one touchdown with two picks. He’s had to come in at times while Mertz was injured but we haven’t seen him start to this point.
It’s good for Wisconsin to have a backup with reps and experience. However, I think the Badgers have a redshirt freshman with Deacon Hill that I would love to see what he can do. He’s a four-star prospect and has a cannon for an arm. Wolf doesn’t have the arm to keep secondaries honest, but he does have legs and could escape the pocket. I do think Wolf ends up as the backup, but I think this is a potential battle to watch in fall camp.
Not Yet: Myles Burkett
Most Wisconsin fans will know the name Myles Burkett. He’s a three-star quarterback out of Franklin, Wisc. I love the Badgers have an in-state kid. Burkett can also play the position really well, and he proved it after leading Franklin to a state title last season.
We probably won’t see Burkett this year, but he could potentially be the starting quarterback in a few years. He has a great work ethic you can’t teach.
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