In the days leading up to the start of spring football practice, assistant director of athletic communications Brian Lucas will offer previews of each position, taking a look at a different one each day. Today we examine the Badger quarterbacks.
If there is one position on the football field gets the most attention, it is quarterback. That is no different for the Wisconsin football team. Last year, uneven performances forced the Badgers to change starting QBs midway through the season, replacing senior Allan Evridge with junior Dustin Sherer. Sherer showed improvement while getting his first taste of collegiate action. However, the coaches still want to see more consistency from the position and that’s the reason there is competition at the position this spring.
“We’ve got four guys and we need to get them all a lot of reps,”
offensive coordinator Paul Chryst said. “Each guy is a little bit different and brings something a little bit different to the table. If we’re going to be good at the quarterback position, whoever the guy is, we need to be better than we were last year. Really we just have to be able to make sure the position is improving and that we’re playing better because we need to be better at the quarterback position. “
Returning starter
After taking over as the starter at Iowa, Sherer started the last seven games of the season. He struggled against the Hawkeyes, throwing two interceptions. But Sherer rebounded to throw six touchdown passes and just two interceptions the rest of the way, leading UW to a 4-2 record to close out the season. Sherer had a quarterback rating of at least 130.0 in four of those final six games including two games of 150.0+, wins over Illinois and Cal-Poly.
Besides the numbers, the coaches really like the intangibles Sherer brings to the table.
“I love the way the he competes,”
Chryst said. “He’s a guy that I think mirrors what we want our team to be and that’s guys that will compete, guys that are tough. Dustin made some plays for us. He can do some things, not only throwing the ball but with his (feet). The number one thing I think overall that the quarterback position needs to do, is it needs to be more consistent. I think Dustin will build on what he learned last year as a starter. He recognizes those things that make a difference between winning and losing and he needs to focus on that and get himself better.”
Experienced reserve
Scott Tolzien will be entering his fourth season as a Badger. He received the most extensive playing time of his career after he replaced Sherer during the Iowa game, going 4-of-7 for 90 yards. Tolzien also saw action in the second half of UW’s win at Indiana.
“The benefit Scott has is that he’s been in the program, next to Dustin, the most,”
Chryst said. “He’s got a good feel for what we’re trying to get done with the offense. He’s got to play efficient. He has to make use of the skill set he has. He may not be the most athletic quarterback that we have but he can make this offense go.”
New faces
Curt Phillips came to UW as a highly-touted high school prospect from Tennessee and enrolled at Wisconsin last spring, enabling him to take part in spring practice. A good athlete, Phillips carries the reputation of being able to make plays with his arm and his feet. He redshirted last season and ran the scout team for UW and was named scout team offensive player of the year.
“Curt Phillips is a guy that we’re excited about,”
Chryst said. “Did a nice job on the scout team last year. Curt’s got some athletic ability, he can throw. The big thing that Curt hasn’t been is just thrown into it. Last year he was kind of fed easily the offense, kind of what he could grasp and go. Now he’s got to learn it all.”
Another newcomer is true freshman Jon Budmayr. Budmayr, like Phillips last season, enrolled at UW for the spring semester and has been on campus since January. Budmayr missed his entire senior season due to injury but threw for more than 5,000 yards as a three-year starter at Marion Catholic Central High School in Illinois.
“Jon Budmayr, like Curt was last year, he’s in his first time hearing everything, so how he adjusts to it,”
Chryst said. “So there all in a little bit different stage in their career and their point in the program here but we need to make sure we have some growth at that position.”
“I’m really excited to see Curt Phillips and Jon Budmayr just because we haven’t seen much of them and to see how they fit into our system,”
head coach Bret Bielema said. “Jon Budmayr is a guy that’s just coming in and going through it for the first time. Curt Phillips has the advantage of going through this a year ago and this is now going into his second time of spring install. I’m looking to see big gains out of those young guys.”
Up for grabs
Though Sherer started the last seven games last season, the coaches have made it clear that there will be competition for the quarterback position heading into the spring.
“Dustin certainly played and did some really good things last year,”
Chryst said. “He needs to be better and hopefully having now gotten a lot of game experience under his belt, he can build on that. Scott Tolzien had a chance to play a little bit last year, did some good things. He’s another year in the system. He needs to be consistent. And then you have two young guys in Curt Phillips and Jon Budmayr and they’re going to get a lot of reps and for them to just see what kind of growth they can make. We’ll try to give them all a lot of reps. Certainly, while that’s going on there’s a one emerging, there’s a two emerging, there’s a three and there’s a four. That kind of takes care of itself.”
The advantage to having just four quarterbacks on the roster is that they will all get significant work in the spring.
“We’ve got four guys and those four guys should get a lot of reps,”
Bielema said. “Those guys should be able to go out and know that they’re going to have the stress put on them every day not just in the meeting room but out there on the field. Dustin has got the most experience of the whole group coming back but as a group I’m excited because all of them have their own little strengths and weaknesses.”
