SMU’s Tanner Mordecai transferring to Wisconsin: How he bolsters Badgers’ QB room

SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai is transferring to Wisconsin, he announced on social media Friday. Here’s what you need to know:

Mordecai entered the transfer portal Thursday, and Wisconsin emerged as the favorite to land him.
His addition is huge for Wisconsin by giving it an experienced signal caller with one year of eligibility remaining who can immediately start for a season before making way for some of the team’s younger talent.
In two seasons at SMU, Mordecai threw for 7,152 yards with 72 touchdowns and 22 interceptions.

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Mordecai wins starting job at SMU

Mordecai transferred to SMU after three years at Oklahoma, sitting behind Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts and then Spencer Rattler. He finally won a starting job, became a team captain and put up two big seasons with the Mustangs. He said late in the 2022 season he would leave for the NFL and he walked on Senior Day. But there’s clearly been a change of plans with an extra year of eligibility.

SMU had already planned to move on to its future. Former star recruit Preston Stone and Kevin Henry-Jennings are expected to battle for the starting QB job next year, unless the Mustangs add someone of their own from the portal. — Vannini

Analyzing Wisconsin’s QB room

Luke Fickell and his coaching staff could not have upgraded Wisconsin’s quarterback room any better in the first month of his tenure than this. First, the Badgers added Oklahoma transfer Nick Evers, a former four-star prospect and top-10 quarterback in the 2022 class. And now, Mordecai is coming to Wisconsin after throwing for 7,152 yards and 72 touchdowns over the past two seasons at SMU.

Mordecai, who has one season of eligibility remaining, gives Wisconsin an experienced signal caller who can immediately step in and start in offensive coordinator Phil Longo’s up-tempo system that relies on quarterbacks to utilize RPOs and get the ball to playmakers in space. It’s a perfect opportunity for the Badgers to gradually bring along the redshirt freshman Evers, who could potentially replace Mordecai in 2024.

Wisconsin needed to overhaul its quarterback room after three-year starter Graham Mertz transferred to Florida. In addition to Mordecai and Evers, Wisconsin’s other scholarship quarterbacks for next season include true freshman Cole LaCrue, redshirt freshman Myles Burkett and sixth-year senior Chase Wolf, who earned his first career start in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl and announced after the game that he would return for one more season. — Temple