Josh Pate labels Wisconsin’s Tanner Mordecai an ‘under-the-radar impact transfer’

If Wisconsin wins the Big Ten West in its final year, Tanner Mordecai will be a massive reason why.

Those in and around Madison, Wisconsin have become familiar with the name Tanner Mordecai as the Badgers prepare for the 2023 season.

First-year Head Coach Luke Fickell and Offensive Coordinator Phil Longo needed a veteran presence to bridge the gap while they rebuilt the offensive room. Mordecai fit the criteria perfectly, transferring in from SMU after starting for two seasons and throwing for 3524 yards and 33 touchdowns last year.

To those nationally, however, the addition of Mordecai to the Wisconsin quarterback room wasn’t met with the same enthusiasm as Sam Hartman transferring to Notre Dame, D.J. Uiagalelei to Oregon State or Devin Leary to Kentucky. Many out there still think of Wisconsin as a run-only football team without much of a passing attack.

Badger fans know that is no longer the case.

CBS Sports’ Josh Pate was discussing ‘under-the-radar impact transfers on offense’ on his show Late Kick last week and had this to say about what Mordecai brings to Wisconsin:

“This guy is going to play a big role in determining the outcome of the Big Ten West,” Pate said. “He was the eighth-rated transfer quarterback, so he’s not exactly up there with Sam Hartman…but back-to-back years at SMU he threw for over 3500 yards and had over 30 touchdowns…You got the Phil Longo offense up there. They are going to ask him to throw it around a lot. It would not shock me, with they way they’re going to use him, if he didn’t challenge for those 3500 and 35 touchdown numbers again this upcoming year.”

There are undoubtedly better NFL prospects than Mordecai this season, namely Caleb Williams at USC and Drake Maye at North Carolina. But looking only at the transfers, it shouldn’t surprise anybody if Mordecai tops the list when we look back upon the 2023 season. If Wisconsin wins the Big Ten West in its final year, Mordecai will be a massive reason why.