Tag: Quarterbacks

Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke discusses pick-six vs. Penn State

Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke discusses pick-six vs. Penn State

Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke addressed his pick-six following the Badgers’ 28-13 loss to Penn State on Saturday.

The play, which ultimately proved to be Penn State’s game-winning score, arrived at the 6:35-minute mark of the third quarter. With Wisconsin leading 10-7 and backed up at its seven-yard line, Locke tossed a bullet down the middle to Penn State safety Jaylen Reed.

Reed returned the interception roughly 19 yards to the end zone to push Penn State ahead 13-10 in the third quarter. UW would manage to capitalize on a field goal on its ensuing drive, but that would be Wisconsin’s final points of the night.

Locke spoke on the moment with media members after the game. Here’s what he had to say:

https://twitter.com/ZachHeilprin/status/1850380873322946688

“Gotta make a better decision [and] not throw it to the other team,” Locke emphasized.

When asked if he saw Reed, he confirmed that he saw the defensive back as the play developed. The pass appeared to be intended for tight end Tucker Ashcraft.

Locke finished the game with 22 completions for 217 passing yards. Wide receivers Will Pauling and Vinny Anthony combined to reel in 15 of those completions for 147 receiving yards. Through seven games, Locke has passed for 1,281 yards and seven touchdowns.

UW’s next game is slated for Nov. 2 against the Iowa Hawkeyes in Iowa City, Iowa.

Wisconsin 2026 commit QB Jarin Mock off to strong start to junior season

Wisconsin 2026 commit QB Jarin Mock off to hot start in junior season

Wisconsin class of 2026 quarterback commit Jarin Mock is off to a hot start to his junior season with Pickerington North High School.

Mock, who offered his commitment to Luke Fickell’s program back on July 27, has accumulated 1,517 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 135.8 through eight games of his junior season. He has also rushed for 140 yards and thrown just one interception.

The 6-foot-3 product is considered a three-star recruit on both 247Sports and Rivals. 247Sports ranks the Pickerington, Ohio native as the No. 45-ranked quarterback in the class of 2026 and the No. 32 player from the state of Ohio.

Mock was the first player to commit to the Badgers in the class of 2026 before three-star iOL Benjamin Novak confirmed his commitment to UW on Oct. 7. Mock chose the Badgers over other opportunities including Central Michigan, Marshall, UMass and Miami (OH).

Given Mock’s age, he will have ample time to boost his recruiting profile and ability to read opposing defenses. When he arrives on campus, UW will likely turn to redshirt sophomore Braedyn Locke or 2024 four-star recruit Mabrey Mettauer as their starter.

Nonetheless, Mock’s output thus far should encourage Badger fans. He figures to blend in well to offensive coordinator Phil Longo’s scheme in 2026 and beyond.

Wisconsin legend to take first-team reps for Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of Week 7

Wisconsin legend to take first-team reps for Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of Week 7

Former Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson will take first-team reps in practice for the Pittsburgh Steelers this week, per the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

After six weeks of Justin Fields under center, it appears as if head coach Mike Tomlin is directing the team’s quarterback focus to NFL veteran Russell Wilson for Week 7 against the New York Jets.

Wilson, who dealt with a nagging calf injury dating back to the beginning of Pittsburgh’s training camp window, is now in consideration to start for the first time as a Steeler.

Fields, meanwhile, has proven to be a respectable replacement under the gun to start the 2024 campaign. Through six appearances, the former Chicago Bear has completed 66.3% of his throws for over 1,100 passing yards and five passing touchdowns. The dynamic playmaker has also rushed 55 times for 231 yards and five touchdowns.

While the Steelers do boast four wins on the season, the offense has yet to look explosive. Aside from last week’s 32-13 thumping against the Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh has amassed 20 points or fewer in four games. Fields, who can certainly run, has essentially operated as a game manager.

Still, Wilson is nowhere near the type of player he was when leading the Seattle Seahawks to deep playoff runs nearly a decade ago. In two seasons with the Denver Broncos, Wilson went 11-19 as a starter and missed the playoffs both seasons.

Wilson’s status as Pittsburgh’s starter will certainly stay in the headlines for the entire week. The Steelers take the field next on Sunday, Oct. 20 against the New York Jets.

Wisconsin football offers class of 2026 quarterback and defensive lineman

Wisconsin football offers class of 2026 quarterback and defensive lineman

Wisconsin football recently extended offers to class of 2026 quarterback Ryan Hopkins and defensive lineman Josiah Hope.

Hopkins, a 6-foot-3 prospect from JSerra Catholic High School in California, received his offer from UW on Oct. 11. Offensive coordinator Phil Longo appears to have led the recruiting effort, per 247Sports.

The outlet considers Hopkins the No. 57-ranked quarterback and No. 87 overall recruit from the class of 2026. The Michigan State Spartans also offered the pass-thrower back on Sept. 4.

Through five high school games in 2024, Hopkins has thrown for 681 yards and eight passing touchdowns. He has also accumulated 391 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns as a junior.

Defensive lineman Josiah hope, meanwhile, received his Wisconsin offer on Oct. 14. Despite being unranked at this stage of the recruiting process, Hope already holds offers from Auburn, Eastern Kentucky, Kentucky and Louisville.

At 6-foot-2, 275 pounds, Hope attends North Hardin High School in Radcliff, Kentucky. The interest from his suitors as a junior suggests Hope will garner a collection of offers throughout the remainder of the season.

UW has received two commitments from the class of 2026 thus far: three-star quarterback Jarin Mock and three-star iOL Benjamin Novak.

Wisconsin quarterback captains dominant passing attack in win vs. Purdue

Wisconsin quarterback captains dominant passing attack in win vs. Purdue

Wisconsin starting quarterback Braedyn Locke dominated during the Badgers’ 52-6 victory against the Purdue Boilermakers at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday.

Locke, who saw his first action after starter Tyler Van Dyke went down with a season-ending injury in Week 3 against the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide, nearly doubled his passing yard output from a week ago.

Locke’s first stellar passing sequence arrived when he tossed a 52-yard bomb to wide receiver Vinny Anthony II for a touchdown towards the tail end of the first quarter. After tossing a pair of interceptions to Purdue’s Kyndrich Breedlove, Locke found his groove.

The redshirt sophomore led the Badgers on five scoring drives in the second half en route to a 52-6 victory over the Boilermakers. He connected on 69-yard and 25-yard scores to wide receiver Trech Kekahuna and leaned on playmaker C.J. Williams on multiple third-down passing plays.

While Purdue’s secondary is one of the weakest in the sport, the performance was unquestionably the best of Locke’s 2024 campaign thus far with the Badgers. He finished with 359 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and a 180.8 passer rating.

Here are a few of his biggest plays of the day:

Locke and company will return to the field against unranked Rutgers and Northwestern on Oct. 12 and Oct. 19, respectively, before squaring off against No. 7 Penn State, Iowa, No. 6 Oregon in its ensuing three contests.

With questions looming about Locke’s passing capabilities for the remainder of the 2024 slate, he will look to continue the momentum he discovered against the Boilermakers against a collection of the conference’s most formidable opponents down the stretch.

Justin Fields has big afternoon in former Wisconsin quarterback’s absence

Justin Fields has big afternoon in former Wisconsin quarterback’s absence

Former Wisconsin and current Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson missed his fourth consecutive game to open the 2024 season on Sunday. He remains sidelined with a lingering calf issue.

In his fourth game serving as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback, former Chicago Bears’ starter Justin Fields notched 22 completions, a season-best 317 passing yards, one passing touchdown and a 104.0 passer rating in the Steelers’ 27-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Indianapolis.

Fields also recorded 55 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the Steelers’ first loss of the 2024 season.

The performance came one week after he tallied 25 completions, 245 passing yards, one passing touchdown and one interception in the Steelers’ 20-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3.

Despite the loss, the back-to-back outputs may have solidified Fields’ position as the Steelers’ starter for the long-term. While head coach Mike Tomlin has hesitated in previous weeks about assigning a title to the Steelers’ starting quarterback, Fields has done more than enough to earn the title.

With the AFC North’s Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals in free fall, the Steelers possess a division lead with Fields at the helm. Barring any major setback on Fields’ side, there isn’t much of a rush to get Wilson onto the gridiron in the coming weeks.

Again, Wilson donned a full uniform, eye black and a head set throughout the entire game. The former Super Bowl champion will surely do the same in Week 5 against the Cowboys.

Justin Fields shines for Steelers in former Wisconsin quarterback’s absence

Justin Fields shines for Steelers in former Wisconsin quarterback’s absence

Former Wisconsin and current Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson missed his third straight game to start the 2024 season on Sunday. He’s still out with an ongoing calf injury.

In his absence, former Chicago Bear Justin Fields registered 25 completions, 245 passing yards, one passing touchdown and one interception in the Steelers’ 20-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in Pittsburgh.

Fields also recorded six carries for six yards and a rushing score during what became his best performance of 2024.

The former Ohio State Buckeye flashed his passing brilliance with a 55-yard touchdown strike to speedster wide receiver Calvin Austin III. The touchdown would ultimately become the game-clinching score in the final frame to push the Steelers to 3-0 on the season.

Fields also finished the contest with a passer rating of 96.0 and a completion percentage over 78%. Outside of his interception, which bounced off multiple Steelers and Chargers, Fields played efficient football for the entirety of Sunday’s game against a respectable defense.

With the Steelers unbeaten through three games, there is no reason for head coach Mike Tomlin to rush Wilson back onto the field. Besides, the former Super Bowl champion’s most recent tenure with the Denver Broncos didn’t end all that well.

In two seasons with the Broncos, Wilson went 11-19 and looked like a completely different player compared to his Seattle days.

For the third straight game, Wilson donned a full uniform, eye black and a head set throughout the entire contest while overseeing Fields and the Steelers’ offense. All signs point to Fields starting once more in Week 4.

Former Wisconsin quarterback dominates for Florida in Week 4

Former Wisconsin quarterback dominates for Florida in Week 4

Former Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz dominated for the Florida Gators in their win over Mississippi State on Saturday.

Mertz, who returned to the Gators’ lineup a week ago against Texas A&M, completed 19 of his 21 throws for 201 yards and three passing touchdowns vs. the Bulldogs in Starkville. He also rushed three times for 24 yards and a touchdown.

The output vs. Mississippi State is Mertz’s best game of 2024 by a landslide. He finished with 195 yards, one touchdown and one interception vs. the Aggies on Sept. 14 in his first appearance after suffering a concussion in Week 1 against the Miami Hurricanes;

Mertz’s breakout performance in Week 4 is somewhat surprising considering the back-and-forth in Florida’s quarterback locker room this season. The former Badger opened as the starter after a spectacular 2023 season performance in Gainesville. The concussion against Miami, however, opened the door for five-star true freshman D.J. Lagway. The Texas native filled in for Mertz in Week 2 against Samford and totaled 456 yards and three touchdowns.

While some deemed Lagway’s performance as evidence for Mertz to remain on the sideline for the remainder of the season, Florida head coach Billy Napier affirmed that both Mertz and Lagway would see the field for the rest of the 2024 slate.

Nonetheless, Mertz played like a true Division I starter on Saturday. He will receive another opportunity to flash his skill set against the UCF Knights on Oct. 5.

Former Wisconsin quarterback shines for UConn in big Week 4 win

Former Wisconsin quarterback shines for UConn in big Week 4 win

Former Wisconsin quarterback Nick Evers tallied three total touchdowns for the UConn Huskies on Saturday.

Following a pair of subpar performances against the Maryland Terrapins and Duke Blue Devils, Evers notched nine completions for 88 passing yards and a passing touchdown. He also rushed a staggering 19 times for 78 yards and two rushing scores to secure a 48-14 win over Florida Atlantic.

The Flower Mound, Texas, native’s most dynamic passing play arrived on a second-down sequence in the first quarter. Pinned at his team’s 22-yard line, Evers dropped back, rolled to his right and launched to wide receiver Skyler Bell. Bell played at UW with Evers in 2023 — to further the Wisconsin connection.

Here’s the full clip:


While he did play well on Saturday, Evers did not look fantastic in his first two games as a Husky. He accounted for just 21 completions, 208 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions and a 44.7 QBR before Week 4.

Evers elected to transfer to UConn after a 2023 after playing third fiddle to Tyler Van Dyke and Braedyn Locke on Wisconsin’s depth chart. He will receive his next opportunity against Buffalo, who just took down No. 23 Northern Illinois, on Sept. 28.

Luke Fickell shares season outlook for Wisconsin true freshman quarterback

Luke Fickell shares season outlook for Wisconsin true freshman quarterback

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell shared a clear forecast for true freshman Mabrey Mettauer for the remainder of the season.

When asked about whether Badger fans would see Mettauer in 2024, Fickell shared a short update with reporters.

“He’s gonna have to be ready,” Fickell said.

The need for Mattauer arises following a season-ending ACL injury to starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke. The former Miami Hurricane went down in Wisconsin’s first series against No. 4 Alabama on Saturday.

In response, Fickell and offensive coordinator Phil Longo now turn to redshirt sophomore Braedyn Locke. Locke threw for 125 yards and a touchdown in Van Dyke’s absence on Saturday.

Simply put: Locke didn’t look ready for Alabama’s defense. UW’s overall offensive schemes appeared inconsistent as well.

The chatter surrounding Mattauer, then, may be warranted.

During his tenure at The Woodlands High School, the 6’4” prospect earned Texas District 13-6A Overall MVP as a sophomore and Texas District 13-6A Co-Offensive MVP as a junior. He also holds the program record for career passing yardage and single-season passing yardage.

https://twitter.com/Evan_Flood/status/1835043397578768744

While all signs indicate that Fickell and company will roll with Locke, Mattauer’s success in such a competitive recruiting field could elevate him into playing opportunities sooner rather than later.

After all, he earned offers from the likes of Ole Miss, LSU, Miami (Florida), Baylor, Colorado and Louisville. He was also considered a four-star by Rivals, ESPN and 247Sports coming out of high school.

If Locke struggles or is forced to miss time, Wisconsin will turn to Mattauer as the clear next option.

UW will return to the field on Sept. 28 for its Week 5 game against USC in Los Angeles.