Reports surfaced on Sunday that Wisconsin starting quarterback Graham Mertz tested positive for COVID-19, that after leading the Badgers to a 45-7 victory against the Illinois Fighting Illini on Friday.
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.
That news was then followed by Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporting that third-string quarterback Chase Wolf wasn’t at practice on Monday and had also tested positive for COVID-19.
So, what does this mean for the two quarterbacks?
Related: A look at the Big Ten testing protocol that will determine the Graham Mertz situation
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:
- 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
- College statistics: 1 game, 1 passing attempt, 3 yards, 1 touchdown, 455.2 pass efficiency rating
- College accolades: 2018 and 2019 Academic All-Big Ten