Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell avoided naming veteran transfer Tyler Van Dyke the Badgers’ prohibitive starting quarterback on Sunday evening when he met with the media.
His comments came after the team finished its satellite camp at UW-Platteville, as it now prepares to return to campus in Madison for the final two weeks of preparation before beginning the season on Aug. 30.
Related: Full previews for every Wisconsin football position group entering 2024 season
Fickell’s comments also came after Sunday’s practice saw a notable development in the ongoing quarterback competition between Van Dyke and redshirt sophomore Braedyn Locke: Van Dyke handled all of the reps with the first-team offense.
Fickell had previously noted that the position’s depth chart would become clear through camp reps, as opposed to him outwardly announcing a starter. Connecting those pieces together, Van Dyke appears to have emerged as the Badgers clear starter entering the season.
Wisconsin’s head coach, however, carefully avoided calling the race.
“I just said as we head back to campus, the human element is what starts to creep in to everybody’s program,” Fickell said. “As you get closer to games, you start to solidify who’s in what spot. That’s the tough thing. At some point in time we will have a ‘1’ quarterback and a ‘1b.'”
Fickell went on to note that the Badgers have “two really good, really capable quarterbacks.” Again, avoiding officially naming a starter despite the practice reps leaning toward the veteran.
Nothing official from Fickell afterwards. Said the plan was for Locke and Van Dyke to get some reps with the 1s but it didn’t work out that way. Added he feels like they’ve got two very good, capable guys. https://t.co/xaGk3ABmq9 pic.twitter.com/AT4qn46dLs
— Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) August 12, 2024
Van Dyke taking the Badgers’ first offensive snap of the season would be no surprise. The former ACC Rookie of the Year has three years of starting experience, 30 starts, 7,469 career passing yards and 54 career touchdown passes.
While his 2023 season at Miami was a struggle, the Badgers prioritized him in the transfer portal this winter. Adding an established veteran in today’s age of college football usually means that player starts Week 1, while the younger recruits in the room continue to develop.
All indications are that will be the case with the Badgers in Week 1, whether or not Fickell officially calls the race before that date.
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