Wisconsin Head Coach, Luke Fickell, finds himself on the hot seat following the Badgers’ uninspiring 4-8 outing. He enters his fourth season at the helm with an overall record of 16-21 (0.432), but with undeterred confidence in his team’s improvement and growth.
After suffering a 3-score loss to Maryland last October, Fickell cited the Badgers’ “lack of identity” as a broader struggle.
These struggles proved to be never-ending for the Badgers, who went on to lose six out of their eight final games, which included being shutout by both Iowa and Ohio State.
With four quarterbacks in the rotation, who combined for a 9-13 touchdown to interception ratio, an identity is undoubtedly hard to cultivate.
However, in this make-or-break season a new batch of quarterbacks open the door for change and a defined identity that the Badgers have long sought out.
In a press conference after the first day of fall camp on August 7, Fickell expressed his optimism.
“I haven’t shied away from saying that one of the best things about where we are now from before is that quarterback room,” Fickell said.
Among the new quarterback arrivals are redshirt junior and Old Dominion transfer, Colton Joseph and redshirt sophomore out of Louisville, Deuce Adams.
Fickell said the two would be splitting reps over the next few weeks.
The head coach has gone through seven starting quarterbacks in his three-year tenure, all of which have left a negligible impact behind. As his margin for failure runs thin, developing an elite quarterback may be Fickell’s only relief.
Establishing a core team identity remains vital to Fickell, who discussed the steps that his team must take after camp on Thursday.
“We have to do a better job as coaches in making sure that [our identity] is being who we want to be and that means that we have to get really good at the little things,” Fickell said.
The “little things” is what he credited Colton Joseph with showcasing, the quarterback opted to target shorter routes throughout the practice.
“Every kid out here [wants to impress] on day one. The ones that you start to see the maturity grow in are the ones that make sure that the fundamentals and the little things that give us a chance to be great are highlighted,” Fickell said.
Last season, the Old Dominion transfer finished eighth in the country in total offense with 302.6 yards per game, scoring 21 passing touchdowns and 13 rushing touchdowns along the way.
Deuce Adams stands as the barrier between his starting role, who despite only making six appearances at Louisville last year, has made a fighting case for QB1.
In early April, Fickell described Deuce Adams as a “versatile and developing quarterback” who could provide depth behind starter Colton Joseph.
After Fickell’s comment about splitting reps on August 7, it is evident that Adams is now in the run for the starting position.
Regardless of which quarterback comes up on top, building success and establishing identity may revolve around the two transfer portal pick ups.
Adams and Joseph are what will make or break Fickell’s season.
The Badgers will kick off their season on September 6, traveling up north to Lambeau Field to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
