Fickell Provides QB Updates as Wisconsin Spring Practice Resumes

The Badgers' new head coach discusses the development of his three new signal-callers.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 5:36pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a Wisconsin football quarterback in the act of dropping back to pass, with the player's body and the football broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color.Wisconsin's new-look quarterback room is taking shape as the Badgers return to the practice field.Santa Ana Today

Wisconsin football has returned from spring break and is back on the practice field. Head coach Luke Fickell provided updates on the progress of his new-look quarterback room, which features three newcomers in Old Dominion transfer Colton Joseph, Louisville transfer Deuce Adams, and true freshman Ryan Hopkins.

Why it matters

With Danny O'Neil injured and Carter Smith relegated down the depth chart, this is almost a brand-new group of quarterbacks for the Badgers. Fickell is tasked with quickly getting his new passers up to speed as the team prepares for the 2026 season.

The details

Fickell praised Joseph's leadership and talent, though noted he still has a lot to learn in the new system. Adams has impressed the staff with his athleticism and arm strength, and could earn the backup role. Hopkins, an early enrollee from powerhouse Mater Dei High School, has shown a maturity beyond his years.

  • Wisconsin's spring practice resumed after spring break.
  • The Badgers are about a third of the way through their spring practice period.

The players

Luke Fickell

The head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers football team.

Colton Joseph

A transfer quarterback from Old Dominion who is expected to compete for the starting job.

Deuce Adams

A transfer quarterback from Louisville who is vying for the backup role.

Ryan Hopkins

A true freshman quarterback who enrolled early at Wisconsin after starring at Mater Dei High School in California.

Danny O'Neil

A Wisconsin quarterback who is currently injured.

Carter Smith

A Wisconsin quarterback who has been relegated down the depth chart.

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What they’re saying

“Knowing first and foremost when he walks through the door, that he's been put in the position to lead. You're seeing him loosen up a little bit. It's a high-stress position, a lot is piled on these guys' plates. Not just from the nature of the offense, but also the expectation thing too. There's a guy with high expectations and he comes in, and you can see a little natural tightness; he wants to lead but he has so much to learn. Each and every day, especially practice-wise, he's becoming a little more loose in what he's doing.”

— Luke Fickell, Head Coach

“Deuce has done a really good job and he's in a position where it's a little more difficult. You know everybody walking in the door, day one we go out there, Colton is gonna go with the ones. Deuce understands that, but he also believes and understands that everything is earned. No matter where you come in, it's ultimately where you finish.”

— Luke Fickell, Head Coach

“He's obviously beyond his years a little bit. I think coming out of the program which he did, and also transferring: he went to Mater Dei his senior year. He had to go compete to win the spot, he had to go play around a lot of great players, they were No. 1 in the country at one point in time. Maybe we don't recognize how much that makes a guy grow. If there's anything that you've seen from him walking in the door here, there's a maturity level, there's a growth not just in learning the offense but understanding what that position looks like at this level.”

— Luke Fickell, Head Coach

The takeaway

Fickell is tasked with quickly getting his new-look quarterback room up to speed as the Badgers prepare for the 2026 season. The early returns on transfers Colton Joseph and Deuce Adams, as well as true freshman Ryan Hopkins, have been promising, but there is still plenty of work to be done.