Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell watches as quarterback Mabrey Mettauer throws a pass during practice just outside Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday April 7, 2024. Mark Stewart / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Luke Fickell wants more balance in Wisconsin Badgers offense to help overcome quarterback struggles

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Lorin Cox | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 6:10 PM ET

The Wisconsin Badgers don't always get high level quarterback play, especially the last two seasons when their starters missed significant time with injuries.

Part of the motivation behind a switch to new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes is to be better prepared for the more difficult times under center.

Luke Fickell explained the logic during an interview this week on The Jim Rome Show, where he noted the differences compared to the Air-Raid offense they ran under Phil Longo.

"I think the Air-Raid systems or some of those spread systems that are all predicated on the quarterback, I would tell you that it’s really, really difficult in those systems to outperform average quarterback play. I want to be in a system that we would call more of an NFL system, where obviously the quarterback is still the most important thing in what you do, especially offensively. But, they do understand that there’s more to it than just the quarterback."Luke Fickell on The Jim Rome Show

"Being through what he has been through, he's a leader since the day he walked in the door."@CoachFick on transfer QB Billy Edwards, Jr. @BadgerFootball pic.twitter.com/qzxeFEPi2H
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) June 10, 2025

He compared it to what he sees in the NFL, where teams can still when a game when their quarterback struggles by relying on the running game and defense to take the pressure off of the QB.

Air-Raid offenses like Longo's put the quarterback in complete control, but that can cause problems when it's a second- or third-string player in there due to injuries.

Fickell said he is also more confident in the depth in his QB room now, which he described as "very thin for us" in recent years.

That combination of new quarterbacks and a new system is giving Wisconsin confidence in Billy Edwards Jr. and the offense taking a step forward in 2025.