Wisconsin suffered a major blow during its crushing 15-6 loss to Iowa on Saturday, as starting quarterback Tanner Mordecai broke his hand and is now out indefinitely.
The news was originally reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel and was confirmed by head coach Luke Fickell.
Related: Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 7: Iowa wins the Big Ten West
The Wisconsin head coach went on to clarify where the team’s quarterback depth chart stands during his press conference on Monday. Redshirt freshman Braedyn Locke will be the team’s starter, with a competition between Myles Burkett and Nick Evers for the backup job.
Locke went 15/30 for 122 yards and one interception in relief of Mordecai against Iowa. Wisconsin did score points with Locke in the game, something it wasn’t able to do before Mordecai was injured. But the two second-half field goals were not enough to win the game.
Fickell says Burkett is listed as the backup but thinks there is competition there with Nick Evers. https://t.co/paRKVT4nr6
— Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) October 16, 2023
Locke was a four-star recruit who committed to Mississippi State in the class of 2022 before transferring to Wisconsin this past offseason. The Badgers will now need to rely heavily on running back Braelon Allen, something the team wasn’t able to do during Saturday’s loss.