Where does the Badger starter rank in the conference?
There are a number of storylines headed into the 2022 Wisconsin Badgers football season. There are a variety of positions and players that could help to write the narrative of this season. However, the ceiling of this team will likely depend on the heights that Graham Mertz can reach in year three as a starter.
The first two seasons of Mertz’s time as a starter have had more downs than ups, but the flashes of positive play have been there. Where does the Wisconsin starter rank among the conference’s signal callers?
The redshirt freshman still needs a PCR test to confirm the diagnosis and the results of that test are not yet known, so he isn’t technically ruled out of Saturday’s contest just yet.
Per Big Ten rules they will now miss at least 21 days of football activity, those including games against Nebraska, Purdue and Michigan, and must undergo cardiac testing to ensure that they are safe to return to the field.
Meaning with Jack Coan out with a foot injury, and Mertz and Wolf testing positive for COVID-19, the Badgers could be down to the fourth-string quarterback for the next three weeks of the season.
So, as we outlined before the season in our quarterback depth chart, the next man up at the position is redshirt junior Danny Vanden Boom.
Obviously overlooked in the room with Jack Coan and Mertz, here is everything you need to know about Vanden Boom before his potential start this weekend:
Sep 8, 2018; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Danny Vanden Boom (15) throws a touchdown pass during the fourth quarter against the New Mexico Lobos at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Hometown: Kimberly, Wisconsin
Jersey number: 15
Height: 6’5″
Recruiting: Three-star recruit, No. 1859 in the nation, No. 68 at the position, No. 12 player from the state of Wisconsin
High school accolades: Gatorade Wisconsin Player of the Year, first-team all-state by Associated Press and Wisconsin Football Coaches Association, led Kimberly to back-to-back Division 1 state championships and 28-0 record as starting quarterback, unanimous first-team All-Fox Valley Association as a junior and senior, Fox Valley Association Offensive Player of the Year as a senior, helped lead Kimberly to Division 1 state title in baseball as a senior pitcher with a 7-3 record and 1.36 ERA
