It was a little strange for University of Wisconsin sophomore quarterback Dustin Sherer to be taking snaps against a defense at the start of Outback Bowl practices. As the third-string QB this season, Sherer got virtually no work in practice against the defense.

"Coming into these practices, I hadn't really taken a snap under center and had guys running at me since August," Sherer said. "So, it's hard. I thought I did really well early. I thought I'd be kind of rusty but I really wasn't. It just came back to me, so it felt good."

Junior quarterback Allan Evridge might have an edge in playing experience, but he was quick to point out he hasn 't been in the UW system that long.

"Actually, if you look at the time frame, I've been here the second-least (amount of time) to (freshman) James Stallons," said Evridge, who arrived midway through fall camp in 2006 after transferring from Kansas State.
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Redshirt freshman Scott Tolzien has gotten even less work than the other guys, while Stallons, who is being redshirted, has missed most of the bowl practices after a fall on the ice.

Throw in recruit Curt Phillips, from Kingsport, Tenn., who has made an oral commitment to the Badgers and is expected to enroll in January, and next season promises the most competitive quarterback race in many years.

UW coaches made one thing clear at the end of the regular season: The evaluation process for the successor to senior Tyler Donovan starts now. There's no way the Badgers can go into spring practice expecting to get meaningful work in practice for five quarterbacks.

"This truly is the start of the evaluation," offensive coordinator Paul Chryst, who also coaches the quarterbacks, said after a recent practice. "Everything you do has to be done with a purpose. It is clearly wide open.

"You can't get four or five guys good reps for the spring. This is important."

Edge to Evridge

Handicapping the race at this point is not easy. Evridge goes into the offseason with a slight edge, only because he's this season's No. 2.

Evridge's only meaningful time this season came when Donovan was knocked out of the Michigan game midway through the fourth quarter, with the Badgers leading 23-21. Evridge attempted only one pass, which was incomplete, then handed the ball off as the Badgers won 37-21.

"I'm very anxious (to show what I can do)," Evridge said. "I don't feel like I've shown anything yet. It's been a frustrating time, but a great time at the same time. You really learn what type of character you have, just push through and help out the guys. I wouldn't change it. It's been fun but I really do look forward to getting out there and playing."

It's a different situation than a year ago when Donovan started the final two regular-season games, giving him a big edge going into this year. Evridge mounted a bit of a charge in fall camp but was slowed by nagging injuries.

"I definitely feel I'm farther along than during camp," Evridge said. (Last) spring, my first installation was right before my first practice. So, you hear it and you're trying to think about it.

"As time has progressed, I've heard it more and more, so it has been a lot easier. Now, if I hear a play I can think about it quicker and process it, instead of having to think, 'OK, what does everybody do?' That's definitely helped. I just have to try and stay healthy. That was the thing that kind of nagged me in fall camp. That's what happened though, so that's what I had to do."

Sherer's chance

Sherer is usually the overlooked one in the QB discussion for next year. It seems most fans either fixate on the backup or the latest freshman.

"I 's like that every year," Sherer said. "I remember when I was a freshman coming in, 'Oh, my, Sherer might start.' Just kind of a thing you go through and hear about, but just ignore."

Sherer's biggest responsibility this year was signaling in plays from the sidelines. He was the one with the headset, communicating with Chryst in the press box and passing messages to other players.

"I was kind of more of a coach than a player this year," Sherer said. "It was good for me. I liked it. It helped me get a grasp of the offense, what goes on during the game. Obviously, knowing all the signals and that stuff, forces you to know the entire offense, which really helps."

Sherer said he got a good grasp of how Chryst likes to call plays. "There were some where I've even wanted to change (the call), but I didn't," he joked.

Chryst's take

While some fans might assume Evridge will prevail, Sherer is a scrapper, who usually has his best moments in scrimmages and game situations.

"Allan, he's had more meaningful game snaps," Chryst said. "He's been in this long enough, that has to be his edge. Dustin has gotten reps in practice. We need to see how he does under pressure. That can be one of his strengths.

"I've loved the way Tolzien has progressed. He quietly goes about his business. He's worked hard and his arm strength has gotten better since he started. I'm disappointed we didn't get more of a look at James. I think his ability to throw the ball is pretty good."

Evridge is proud of the way he fit in with his teammates since transferring and the way he handled his role this season. He believes his leadership qualities are a strong point, but not something he has been able to fully express before now.

"I think I've done a really good job of integrating myself on the team," he said. "It's one of the things I've done really well and had great responses from a lot of the guys on the team.

"As far as a leader, I don't think they've really seen it. I've done some leadership stuff, but not as much as I normally do. I'm usually very open, very charismatic, but in the role I was in, I had to kind of sit back and just try to help Tyler out. My little niche was being there for him. We'll see what happens."

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