Wisconsin football spring questions: the quarterback room

A preview of the quarterback position for the Wisconsin Badgers heading into spring practice.

With spring practice set to begin in the next week or so, we are just days away from the Wisconsin Badgers being back on the practice field. 

With a number of key additions and subtractions to the roster, as well as a revamped coaching staff, this spring will provide us the first look at what next year's football team might look like when they open up against Illinois State on September 3. 

Let's take a position-by-position look at the major questions heading into the spring for the Badgers, starting with the quarterback room.

Graham Mertz (RS Junior) / Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports

Graham Mertz enters the spring as the unquestioned starter.  Credit: Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports

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Chase Wolf (RS Senior) / Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Chase Wolf saw action in multiple games last year, but is projected to backup Graham Mertz. Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

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Deacon Hill (RS Freshman) / Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Deacon Hill will be participating in his first spring after joining the program last summer. Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

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Myles Burkett (True Freshman) :: Curt Hogg / Now News Group / USA TODAY NETWORK

Myles Burkett is an early enrollee quarterback out of Franklin (Wisconsin). Credit: Curt Hogg / Now News Group / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Can Graham Mertz take the next step?

Graham Mertz, a redshirt junior, will enter this spring as the starting quarterback for the Wisconsin Badgers. 

With 20 starts now under his belt, the major storyline surrounding the quarterback room centers on if the Kansas native can deliver on his four-star potential in his fourth year in the program. 

Mertz has shown flashes the past two seasons with the Badgers, but he has also struggled with consistency. As a result, Wisconsin ranked outside the top-100 in passing offense and passing efficiency last season, as Mertz finished the year with more interceptions (11) than touchdowns thrown (10).

Mertz did play better as the 2021 season developed, but he still completed less than 60% of his passes as the passing game struggled. 

The issues in the passing game do not solely fall on the right shoulder of Mertz, but Graham will be the first to admit that he needs to play better. This spring provides a massive opportunity for Mertz to improve and get on the same page with his new collection of receiving targets. 

With newly minted offensive coordinator Bobby Engram in the fold, perhaps Mertz and the Wisconsin passing game can get back on track in 2022. That starts this spring, and Mertz has the talent to do it. Now it is about putting it all together. 

Can Deacon Hill or Myles Burkett push Chase Wolf for the No. 2 job? 

Paul Chryst and the coaching staff seemed reluctant to go with Chase Wolf last season when Graham Mertz struggled. Wolf is entering his fifth season in the program, and at this point, it is highly unlikely he overtakes Graham Mertz for the starting role. 

So that begs the question, can one of the younger players in the quarterback overtake Wolf to become the backup? 

Both Deacon Hill and Myles Burkett will be taking part in their set first spring of practices, which is traditionally a key time for development with young players. 

Hill redshirted last year after enrolling in the summer and did not see the field last season. The Santa Barbara native has a live arm and drew the praise of his teammates during bowl prep, but he is still young and was used primarily as the scout team quarterback a year ago. 

Burkett, on the other hand, enters this spring as an early enrollee. An in-state standout at Franklin High School, Burkett led his team to a State Championship last fall, and he is a player that has the fanbase excited about the future. However, Burkett would normally be finishing up his senior year of high school at this time, so it will be interesting to see how quickly he adapts to the speed of the college game. 

The Badgers need a better overall player at the quarterback position, and having a reliable No. 2 option would go a long way in helping achieve that regardless of which of the reserves step up.