Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke entered the team's Week 3 loss to Alabama after starter Tyler Van Dyke was carted off the field. With Van Dyke reportedly out for the year with an ACL tear in his right knee, the Badgers will turn to Locke to finish out the 2024 season.
Though this is a difficult situation, Locke does have plenty of experience leading the Badgers offense.
He played in five games with three starts for Wisconsin last season. He got his first real collegiate experience against Iowa when former quarterback Tanner Mordecai left with an injury of his own. Though Locke struggled against the Hawkeyes, he bounced back a week later in his first career start against Illinois, throwing for 240 yards and two touchdowns on 21 completions.
Locke also had a 243-yard performance against Indiana in November 2023 and in the process became Wisconsin's first freshman quarterback to have two 240-yard passing games in the same season. Locke actually pushed Van Dyke with a strong fall camp showing, though he eventually lost out to the Miami transfer.
Locke began his career at Mississippi State, where he signed with the Bulldogs in 2022 as a three-star prospect out of Rockwall (Texas) High School. Locke, who threw for over 11,000 yards and spread the ball to the likes of Jaxon Smith-Njigba at Rockwall, did not play in any games at Mississippi State and entered the transfer portal after redshirting.
He was one of three quarterbacks to transfer to Wisconsin ahead of coach Luke Fickell's first season with the Badgers, joining Mordecai (SMU) and Nick Evers (Oklahoma). Evers exited the program during the offseason and enrolled at UConn.