Old Dominion quarterback Colton Joseph has signed a deal to transfer to Wisconsin. The news was first reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Joseph won Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year honors, as a key component of Old Dominion’s best season as a member of the FBS. The dual-threat quarterback fired for 2,624 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions while averaging 9.0 yards per attempt. As a rusher, Joseph was one of five quarterback to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards, landing at 1,007 and 13
rushing touchdowns.
Joseph recorded two 170+ yard games during his Second Team All-Sun Belt season. He opened with 179 rushing yards against undefeated and current No. 1 Indiana, keeping the Monarchs within striking distance during a 27-14 defeat. Joseph attained his career-high 189 rushing yards against Georgia Southern in his penultimate start with the program. As a passer, the Newport Beach, CA native’s best showing of the season transpired Oct. 4 vs. Coastal Carolina where he delivered 315 yards and four touchdowns without an interception.
The quarterback spent three years at Old Dominion, taking a redshirt in 2023 before taking the reins as a starter in the middle of 2024. Joseph fared 3-5 in eight starts in 2024 with 1,627 passing yards and 647 rushing yards. In his Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year campaign in 2025, he generated a 9-3 record as a starter. Joseph did not participate in Old Dominion’s first bowl win since 2016, as backup Quinn Henicle won MVP honors in a signature Cure Bowl upset over South Florida.
Joseph transfers to Wisconsin with two years of eligibility remaining, looking to restore the Badgers’ winning tradition. Wisconsin is fresh off back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1991 and 1992, and Joseph hopes to be the quarterback Luke Fickell needs to reverse the program’s recent misfortune. Joseph presents a different style QB than the traditional pocket passer Badgers are accustomed to. Since 1956, only one Wisconsin quarterback has ever rushed for 500 yards in a season — Tanner McEvoy’s 574 yards in 2014.
As for Old Dominion, Quinn Henicle is expected to be QB1 for 2026 for the time being. Henicle is similarly a dual-threat quarterback and has two starts as a Monarch — both victories. In 2024, he threw for 143 and two touchdowns on a 9-of-12 showing while exploding for 206 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a 40-32 win over Arkansas State. In his Cure Bowl MVP performance against South Florida, Henicle manufactured 127 passing yards in addition to 107 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
