'I have to do my job': Here's the key difference in Braedyn Locke's second act as Wisconsin's QB (2024)

Braedyn Locke initially didn’t realize his fall, and possibly his life, changed on the first drive of the University of Wisconsin football team’s game against Alabama on Sept. 14 at Camp Randall Stadium.

The quarterback’s first thought was the flag in the secondary that netted the Badgers a first down, but his focus pinballed from seeing starter Tyler Van Dyke not get up after his scramble along Wisconsin’s sideline to getting a few warmup throws to joining the rest of the offense as it gathered on the field during the injury timeout.

Locke knows the feeling of being thrown into choppy waters without warning, and he’s faced some of the most talented defenses on Wisconsin’s schedule when doing so. He sprung into action last season when Tanner Mordecai broke his hand on a second-quarter pass against Iowa that started Locke's nearly one-month stint as the Badgers top signal-caller.

“I've been out there,” Locke said. “I felt the bullets flying. I know what it feels like to prepare. I know what it feels like to go on a week-to-week basis now. It was short-lived but definitely did a lot for me.”

The biggest difference this time around is Van Dyke won’t be returning like Mordecai was able to do, meaning Locke’s got nine games to prove himself without an end date on the horizon.

This isn’t the way Locke wanted to become the Badgers starting quarterback. He was hoping to win an offseason competition against Van Dyke to fill that role, but when that didn’t happen, Locke continued to keep his mind sharp for his next chance. He spoke before training camp about the urgency he felt this season and knows this is his shot to deliver.

“I think you always have to be prepared to play,” Locke said. “That's part of the role that I had, but yeah, I do know that this is an extremely great opportunity for me and an opportunity to show what I can do. I definitely don't take that lightly. I'm thankful for it. You don't wish that Tyler goes down or anything like that, you hate it for him, but I have to step in. I have to do my job. And so yeah, I'm extremely excited and I'm ready to do what I can do.”

The pressure Locke put on himself matches the challenge that Wisconsin (2-1) faces in Big Ten Conference play, starting at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at No. 13 Southern Cal (2-1). Four of the Badgers' next nine opponents are ranked in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll, and two others (Iowa and Nebraska) are receiving votes.

Locke reflected on the things he learned as a starter last season and came to the realization that he had gone through a lot in those contests.

“For me overall, it was really good to experience all the emotions that I think you get in a season just in that three weeks,” Locke said. “You get a win, you play a tough game and then you get a tough loss, a game that you shouldn't lose. And so I think that that has definitely helped me now and will continue to help me as I move forward.”

Maximizing QB Braedyn Locke means making changes

No one in the Wisconsin program questions whether Locke will be prepared for USC or any opponent. His study habits and ability to digest film then use his knowledge of the offense to solve problems at the line of scrimmage are bedrocks of his game. But it’s clear in the limited sample size of five games in which he played significant snaps that Locke isn’t the same kind of player as Mordecai or Van Dyke.

The Badgers’ topquarterback options the past two seasons could make plays with their feet, while Locke is best suited to beat teams from the pocket. Van Dyke hadn’t yet shown his ability to lead drives at Wisconsin’s fastest pace, while Locke did a year ago and that skill has been at the top of the list for many when describing differences Locke brings to the unit.

“A lot of his experiences give him, me and a lot of the guys around him a lot more confidence,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said, “because he was thrust into some really tough situations even last year. And so all those things kind of work together. I think that it also gives you a better idea of what you need to do, how you need to adjust because of the strengths that he has.

"So that'll give us an opportunity, sometimes a little bit of the bye week gives you a chance to kind of hone in, focus in on recognizing the things that maybe could be a little bit different based on what he does and what Tyler did.”

Said Locke: “I think every coordinator is going to coach or call to the quarterback’s strengths. I think that's always the goal. I've been in the system for two years. I have a really good understanding of what we're doing and understanding of the X’s and O's, and so I think that utilizing some fast-paced stuff, that'll be a good deal for us moving forward, not just with USC, but just in general.”

Altering the offense puts the onus on Locke to raise his game. He’s completed 50% of his passes (89 of 178) for 902 yards, six touchdowns and one interception in his Wisconsin career. He’s gotten a bit lucky in the turnover department because batted balls at the line (nine) haven’t become interceptions and a few misplaced passes have found the turf.

Locke recognizes it’s imperative for him to keep the ball out of harm’s way.

“In my opinion, it's happened definitely too much,” the 6-foot Locke said. “And so for me, it’s I'm not a 6-5 guy and I can't just (pop it) right over somebody's head, especially with the O-line that we have here and the D-lines that we play. But I have to be strategic about it. If there's someone in front of me, I can't just let it go and the ball gets batted. I just have to create lanes of vision and being able to throw.”

Should Wisconsin get freshman QB Mabrey Mettauer ready to play?

Fickell was teed up for an answer Monday, but he took it another way.

He was asked about his experience in having to play backup quarterbacks before it’s been a reality in his two seasons at Wisconsin. Fickell spoke about how fortunate his Cincinnati teams were to not have an injury under center and only changed quarterbacks by choice. He made reference to the 2014 Ohio State team he was the defensive coordinator of that won the College Football Playoff national championship with third-string quarterback Cardale Jones at the helm, but Fickell focused more on the fact that the Buckeyes got to play most of the regular season with No. 2 QB J.T. Barrett after Braxton Miller was injured early.

But the broader point of preparing backups, especially young ones such as Locke last season and now freshman Mabrey Mettauer is interesting to unpack. The No. 2 quarterback doesn’t take any reps with the first-team offensive line in a typical practice week. Some of the receivers and running backs bounce between the two groups, but the bye last week was Locke’s first opportunity to lead the No. 1 offense since training camp. Mettauer as the No. 3 quarterback wasn’t taking full-team reps during practice before last week, but Wisconsin brought in two walk-on offensive linemen this spring to ensure a full third-unit offense could take reps under Mettauer’s direction.

Fickell was asked if he’d consider changing how practices were structured to get Mettauer extra looks considering he now is only a snap away from being on the field.

“I would tell you in camp that we did more reps with the (No.) 3s than we ever have,” Fickell said. “I would tell you in spring football we did more reps with the 3s than we probably ever have.

“Mabrey didn't get a ton of the 2 reps this fall camp just because there was such a battle going on with Tyler, so that maybe as you look back at it might have been one of the tougher things, but it wasn't from a lack of reps and it wasn't from the lack of studying and working those things a little bit more mental.”

Mettauer wasn’t made available to reporters this week, which is common practice for freshmen who have yet to contribute on the field. He spoke to BadgerExtra this summer about the mentorship he’d received from Van Dyke, which is amplified now as he gets ready to be the backup.

“Tyler, he just wants me to be my best,” Mettauer said, “so he always tries to help me out and (show) things I can do better. And so I just think having that pushes me to be better because Tyler’s a good player and so I try to put my standards to his and try to play like him.”

Locke knows better than anybody what Mettauer’s going through, and he’s been encouraged by how his teammate’s taken on his new role.

“I'm sure that that comes with a lot of stress and some anxiety,” Locke said. “But I do think he's handled it well. I think he's been mature and he's gone about his business, and I think that I've seen growth from him since last week when he started taking a lot more reps in practice than he was before. So I think he's doing good. I think he's getting better at a fast rate, and I think his confidence is building.

"I think that's a really important part about it. What are you saying to yourself? What do you believe about yourself? And so you see that in Mabrey come out more and more when he's in there. And so I've been happy for him and I think he's doing a good job.”