The Wisconsin Badgers are beginning to turn the tide under Luke Fickell.While the 2026 season is nowhere near over and things can go wrong as fast as they went right, this is a team finally looking like it will be able to match the expectations set out in front of them, and in large part that is because of Old Dominion transfer Colton Joseph under center.
Since Fickell arrived, the quarterback position has been plagued with injuries and up-and-down play that was way more down than up.
For an offense that ideally is predicated on a high-flying offense, the Badgers needed a quarterback who could zip passes through all three levels, exactly what Joseph showed at his time with ODU.
So far this season, the former four-star transfer has compiled 1,132
yards on a 56.6% completion rate, going for 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. Joseph has also added a healthy 262 yards on the ground and three touchdowns, averaging 5.1 yards per carry and 52.4 per game.
The only way to go is up, right?
While Joseph has been steady thus far, there is, of course, room for improvement. There are still moments where he looks like a player who is still acclimating to the Big Ten; three interceptions against Penn State and back-to-back games throwing under 50% will do that to you.
However, following this season, Joseph will still have one year of eligibility left, and with that, it is crucial he remains under an offense that otherwise would be finding its fifth quarterback in five seasons, once again setting this offense back to step one.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Why Wisconsin needs Colton Joseph to return for his senior season
