Luke Fickell reaffirms commitment to Braedyn Locke as starting QB after Phil Longo firing

Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell made a major change following the loss to Oregon, firing offensive coordinator Phil Longo. Despite that change, he did emphasize his commitment to Braedyn Locke as the team’s starting quarterback.

Fickell emphasized that there is no doubt that Locke is Wisconsin’s starter while adding that he believes his quarterback will continue to improve.

“Yeah, never a doubt,” Luke Fickell said. “I don’t know what else the idea is, right, I mean we all have to put some pressure on different people. And, again, Braedyn had a lot on his plate. He’s got to continue to grow and get better, and he knows that, and we’re going to give a better opportunity to be able to do that.”

Wisconsin started this season with veteran transfer Tyler Van Dyke at quarterback, but an injury forced Braedyn Locke into the starting role. In nine games, he’s completed 55.1 percent of his passes for 1,514 yards and nine touchdowns with nine interceptions. He’s also rushed for 19 yards and two touchdowns. That comes after he played in five games as a freshman last season for the Badgers.

Coming out of high school, Locke was a three-star recruit in the Class of 2022. He was the 22nd-ranked quarterback overall that recruiting cycle. He initially went to Mississippi State before transferring to Wisconsin.

The offense has been an issue for the Badgers this season. They’re 97th in scoring offense, averaging 23.9 points per game. The Badgers are also 91st in total offense, averaging 363.1 yards per game. In particular, the offense has struggled in Wisconsin’s recent three-game losing streak, averaging just 12 points per game during that stretch. It was also those offensive struggles that helped prompt Fickell to make a change at offensive coordinator.

Luke Fickell addresses who will call plays for Wisconsin

Following his decision to fire Phil Longo, Luke Fickell shared that he doesn’t think it matters who calls plays moving forward and that it will be a collaborative effort.

“Why does it matter? Right, I mean, the offense will be run and those guys will do a lot of things collaboratively together,” Fickell said. “And I don’t think it really is important as to who’s calling it. I guess it gives you the ability to point a finger at somebody if that’s the case. It’s not one of those things I think is that important. Sometimes I think it’s overrated in some ways.”

The Wisconsin Badgers will finish the season with two conference games against Nebraska and Minnesota.