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Tanner Mordecai leads Wisconsin's quarterback depth chart. What should the Badgers expect from the position?

jeff potrykus, milwaukee journal sentinel
·3 min read
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First in a position-by-position series looking at the 2023 Wisconsin Badgers football team.

MADISON – When Wisconsin closed spring football practice April 27, the top half of the quarterback depth chart appeared set:

Tanner Mordecai was the clear starter, followed by Braedyn Locke and walk-on Marshall Howe.

“(Braedyn) and Tanner probably have the best overall understanding of the offense and just the game of football in general,” said Phil Longo, UW’s offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. “They’re both competing to be smarter than the other one.”

Four days after the final practice, Howe announced he was transferring.

“Ultimately it came down to wanting to play as much football as possible in the time I can,” Howe said at the time. “Barring injuries, only one quarterback can really get meaningful snaps and I’ve realized throughout this spring that that’s something I want out of my time in college. Incredibly hard to make that decision given how much I’ve enjoyed my time here, though.”

Howe’s decision opens the door for Myles Burkett, the lone holdover from UW’s 2022 quarterback room, to vie for the No. 3 spot with Nick Evers and Cole LaCrue.

Here's what to watch out of the quarterbacks as UW prepares for the season.

After two years starting at SMU, sixth-year senior Tanner Mordecai is the clear No. 1 in the Wisconsin quarterback room.
After two years starting at SMU, sixth-year senior Tanner Mordecai is the clear No. 1 in the Wisconsin quarterback room.

Phil Longo knew Tanner Mordecai and Braedyn Locke before they came to UW

Longo was in his first season as the offensive coordinator at Ole Miss in 2017 when he tried to recruit Mordecai out of Waco, Texas. Mordecai eventually signed with Oklahoma and played in 12 games over three seasons before transferring to SMU.

After two seasons at SMU, Mordecai planned to entre the NFL draft but the feedback he received from scouts wasn’t promising so he ended up transferring to UW.

Longo was at North Carolina (2019-2022) when he tried to sign Locke out of Rockwall, Texas. Locke eventually signed with Mississippi State and redshirted last season. He chose to transfer to UW because Longo ran the same offensive system Locke learned at Mississippi State under Mike Leach.

“Once I saw the place it was an easy decision,” Locke said. “I told coach on my visit I was going to come here. I already knew what I was getting myself into (in terms of coaching). Once I had a chance to see Madison and see everything here, the tradition here, the winning culture that has been established here, it was a no-brainer.”

Under coordinator Phil Longo, Bradeyn Locke will play in the same offense he learned at Mississippi State.
Under coordinator Phil Longo, Bradeyn Locke will play in the same offense he learned at Mississippi State.

Are quarterbacks born leaders or are they developed to lead?

“I don’t know after all this time coaching whether leaders or born or developed,” said Longo, whose first job was as the head coach at Parsippany Hills High School in New Jersey in 1996. “It’s probably a little of both. But what I do know is that it happens naturally.

“I can tell a guy he needs to exude some leadership. I can tell him what he needs to do to present what looks like leadership or he can do it naturally. I don’t push guys there.

“I tell them how important leadership is. It comes with the position. It is a necessary part of playing that position. If they don’ have that ability they’re probably not going to be the starting quarterback here or most places.”

If you don't know the Wisconsin offense well, you probably won't make it onto the field

Longo has a simple rule for his quarterbacks.

“On my board it says knowledge equals reps,” he said. “I’ve learned the hard way that putting the best athlete out there or the strongest arm out there slows the production of the offense, particularly when you’re installing it for the first time. And those guys never really max out the potential that they have if they don’t understand how to play the game of football.”

When Longo is recruiting, he looks for a strong, accurate arm.

“But once they get here,” he said, “they’re not getting on the field if they don’t know what they’re doing.”

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tanner Mordecai is Wisconsin football's top quarterback. Who's next?