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Luke Fickell identifies why Wisconsin Badgers chose Colton Joseph as transfer portal quarterback
Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell looks on in the second half against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Camp Randall Stadium. Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Luke Fickell identifies why Wisconsin Badgers chose Colton Joseph as transfer portal quarterback

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Lorin Cox  |  Last updated Jan 8, 2026 3:14 PM ET

The Wisconsin Badgers clearly made Colton Joseph from Old Dominion their top quarterback target in the transfer portal.

They were aggressive in recruiting him from the start, landing his first visit of the weekend and making sure he didn't leave Madison without a formal commitment to UW.

In a video on social media, Luke Fickell confirmed that Joseph was a player they had been focused on for a while in the lead up to the portal opening, seeing him as the quarterback that had the traits they were looking for.

"Colton's been a guy that I think we had targeted and had been watching for the last probably four weeks," Fickell said. "We were in a position to say, 'Hey, when this thing opens, we've got to make sure we're able to go after and get the guy that's going to really run this thing and lead this thing.'"

The head coach made it clear that the interest started first and foremost with Joseph's passing skills, in addition to the ground game.

Last year at Old Dominion, he threw for over 2,500 yards with 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

But beyond that, Fickell is entrusting him to be the face and leader of the offense from the moment he steps onto the practice field.

"He had the leadership skill," Fickell said. "When you see a guy play through a whole season, you see him in some really tough environments. You see him have to score a lot of points. You see him have to make some plays himself. That's what we were most intrigued with."

He also pointed to Joseph's work ethic as a key factor.

The new QB might not have to battle for the No. 1 job, but he'll have to work just as hard as everyone else on the team, if not harder, to be successful.

"When he walks in the door, we all know that he's the guy that we would envision as being the quarterback," Fickell said. "He also knows that no matter what, you've got to compete. And I think that's where his strong suit really is."

That, and his dynamic mobility to rush for 1,000 yards last season are what can set Joseph up to be a difference maker for the Badgersi


This article first appeared on Wisconsin Badgers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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