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Oct 5, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Braedyn Locke (18) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Strengths to Arizona's Braedyn Locke

Originally posted on Arizona Wildcats on SI
By Troy Hutchison | Last updated Aug 17, 2025 10:00 AM ET

When Brent Brennan was looking to turn things around on his coaching staff he hired offensive coordinator Seth Doege to fix the offense and get things back on track after an underwhelming season that saw the year end for the Wildcats with a 4-8 record and an offense that struggled after the 61-point explosion against New Mexico.

The offense struggled with injuries, lack of talent in the wide receiver room (outside of Tetairoa McMillan) and playcalling from former offensive coordinator Dino Babers.

One thing Brennan and his staff set out to do this offseason was add talent to the roster and create battles on the roster to get iron sharping iron to help improve the program.

Arizona brought in transfer quarterback Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke, who played in 16 games for the Badgers and threw for 2,713 yards with 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

With Fifita and Locke, there is no quarterback controversy at Arizona and they are clearly the top two quarterbacks on the roster.

Not only are the top two spots filled, but Fifita is 100% the starting QB with Brennan making that clear at the beginning of the offseason ahead of spring ball and training camp.

Still, with the new offense both quarterbacks are learning the system and have taken all the first and second-team reps to get ready for the 2025 season.

We’ve broken down the strengths of Fifita in a past article. Now, we will be breaking down the three strengths of Locke and what he brings to Arizona.

Locke’s Strengths

Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Arm Strength

One of the top arms in the quarterback room for Arizona is Locke, who comes from Wisconsin where he was able to put up some numbers with the Badgers. He has a massive cannon on his shoulders that allows him to hit every part of the field.

It is not only the distance for Locke that gives him perhaps the strongest arm on the roster but the force behind his throws that allow him to put the ball in his target’s hands in tight windows. He has a Jay Cutler element to his game as a gun slinging QB style of play.

Game Experience

Clearly Fifita has seen a lot of snaps in his career but last season the Wildcats didn’t have a No. 2 option that had played in many games and taken important reps in a season. Now, with Lock, Arizona has that with him playing in 16 games and has thrown a total of 448 college passes while with the Badgers.

Those snaps were in meaningful games with Locke facing Alabama, USC, Oregon, Iowa, Penn State, Ohio State and other Power 4 opponents. In those games, he managed to go 6-10 with key wins over Purdue, Northwestern, Rutgers and Illinois.

Although some of those games didn’t go Locke’s way, he has important playing time against some of the best teams in college football and has seen critical situations on the field.

Mobility

When you first look at a quarterback like Locke, you would think that he is a classic pocket-passer that isn’t very mobile and couldn’t get away from pressure. However, that is far from the case and in fact he has been able to avoid the blitz in training camp.

Now, is Locke going to kill you with his legs? No, that won’t happen. Still, he can extend plays giving his receivers time to get open to help prevent a negative play from happening.

This article first appeared on Arizona Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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