The Badgers quarterback was asked about his future this week.
The Wisconsin Badgers have a major game ahead of them this weekend, as they take on the No. 1 Oregon Ducks at Camp Randall Stadium in primetime on Saturday, with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m.
The 5-4 Badgers are coming off their bye week, which served as a good reset after an ugly 42-10 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes back in Week 10 where nothing went Wisconsin’s way on the road.
At the forefront of the discussion is quarterback Braedyn Locke, who struggled against the Hawkeyes with two interceptions, completing just 15/29 of his passes in the loss.
Locke has now turned the ball over in every start this season, while struggling at times with his decision-making and accuracy. Dropped passes from receivers haven’t helped the cause, but his play has raised questions about the quarterback position for the Badgers, not only in the current, but in the future.
Offensive coordinator Phil Longo shut down any talk about potentially making a change this season, which makes sense as the only other option would be true freshman Mabrey Mettauer, who is still raw in his development.
However, the Badgers could very well look to the transfer portal again ahead of the 2025 season, knowing the difficult schedule they face if Locke isn’t their long-term answer.
Is there any added pressure on the quarterback to think about the future?
“It’s hard to really think about anything past this week,” Locke said on Tuesday. “I mean, you’re playing the No. 1 team in the country, so, to try to worry about anything other than that, it is tough.”
“But, at the end of the day, there’s no doubt in my mind that I’m the guy to lead this team. I have a lot of confidence in that. I take pride in that. We all work our tails off. You know, things may not always go our way, but nobody wants it more than myself and the guys in the locker room. And that’s what we’re all working towards this [and] we’ll continue to do.”
Locke has been praised by Longo on numerous occasions for his knowledge of the playbook, which was what sparked a quarterback battle during the offseason between him and initial starter Tyler Van Dyke.
But, the decision-making aspect has to improve and the Badgers face a tough challenge this weekend with a top-20 defense in the Oregon Ducks. Locke has a lot to prove over the final three weeks, as his play could very well determine the decision-making of the staff heading into next year in regards to the quarterback position.