Luke Fickell Shines A Light On Wisconsin's Intense QB Battle, Fans Might Be In For A Surprise

Luke Fickell is happy with Wisconsin's QB battle, but he's not willing to show all his cards just yet.

Former Miami starter Tyler Van Dyke transferred to the Badgers for a fresh start after an up and down career with the Hurricanes. The belief prior to spring practice had been that TVD would be  QB1 to open the season.

Braedyn Locke, who started a handful of games last year when Tanner Mordecai went down, has other plans. The sophomore QB reportedly performed at a higher and more consistent level in spring ball than Van Dyke. While the former Miami QB might have a higher ceiling, it certainly seems like Locke has proven to be a safer bet.

The fact Fickell hasn't named a starting QB, despite the Van Dyke hype, seems to indicate the battle is a lot closer than fans think.

Braedyn Locke is pushing Tyler Van Dyke to win the QB1 role for the Wisconsin Badgers. (Credit: Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Luke Fickell discusses Braedyn Locke/Tyler Van Dyke QB battle.

Now, the Wisconsin coach is pulling back the curtain even more with a simple message. Adversity is a good thing, and Locke should be applauded for sticking around to compete.

Fickell said the following, in part, about the QB battle when speaking with Andy Staples a few days ago:

"I think in college right now, the quarterback room is the most unique room that's completely different even than five years ago just because of the options guys have and the nature of any quarterback at this level. They've all probably been the guy, and it's very difficult to not be the guy and sit behind somebody. I think it's unique. I think it's tricky. I think you've got to make sure you're as honest and open and forthright as you can possibly be so that people will trust you. But for us, it's been a great battle and we're fortunate that because we brought in Tyler Van Dyke that Braedyn Locke didn't say, 'Okay, well you don't have enough confidence in me that I'm gonna move on.' He's got a great relationship with Coach Longo. With me. Believes in the things that we're doing and he's willing to kind of battle through some of the things that he had to go through last year and even bringing in another guy. So, when you've got those kinds of guys within your program, that's why you feel better. Because guys that aren't always looking for grass being greener on the other side and are willing to compete and work and get better."

You can listen to his full comments below starting around 19:00, and hit me with your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: The fact there's been no official announcement makes me think there is a very good chance Locke could be under center when the season opens.

Everyone was ready to crown TVD the day one starter before he ever took a single snap in practice. It's understandable. Below are their two stats compared:

• Tyler Van Dyke: 7,469 passing yards, 54 passing touchdowns and 23 interceptions in 32 appearances.
• Braedyn Locke: 777 passing yards, five passing touchdowns and one interception in 5 appearances.

On paper, Van Dyke is the smart and easy choice, and a guy like him isn't brought in so he can sit on the bench. Yet, there's been no QB1 declaration, Locke regularly outperformed TVD in spring ball and when asked about the competition, Fickell seemed interested in praising the sophomore's resilience.

Will Tyler Van Dyke start at QB for the Badgers? (Credit: Mark Stewart / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK)

There's still a lot of time to go before week one gets here, and I'd still bet TVD is favored internally to be the starting QB. However, absolutely nothing said by Fickell or coming out of practice reports indicates that's going to happen. Braedyn Locke might be gearing up to shock the college football world, and to paraphrase the great Dan Dakich, I ain't mad about it! Let me know what you think at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.