Wisconsin has tried just about everything at quarterback since Luke Fickell arrived in Madison. The Badgers have brought in transfers, recruited young quarterbacks and turned to backups when injuries changed their plans.

There has also been plenty of turnover along the way. Wisconsin went back to the transfer portal again this offseason, landing former Old Dominion quarterback Colton Joseph after another season filled with injuries and changes at the position.

Several quarterbacks have left Wisconsin during that stretch, including some who once looked like they could have a future in Madison. With the Badgers still trying to find some consistency at the position, it seemed like a good time to see where those quarterbacks ended up and how things have gone since they left.

Braedyn Locke went from Big Ten starter to backup

Wisconsin fans certainly remember Braedyn Locke. After Tyler Van Dyke suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2024, Locke took over and started the final nine games. He finished the season with 1,936 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, but the Badgers lost their final five games and missed a bowl for the first time in more than two decades.

Locke transferred to Arizona after the season but never found much of a role there. He appeared in four games in 2025 before heading back to the portal and eventually landing at Tarleton State.

His role hasn't gotten any bigger there. Kaden Anderson has been the starter for the Texans, while Locke has completed 10-of-16 passes for 112 yards and one touchdown in five appearances. Less than two years after starting Big Ten games for Wisconsin, Locke is now trying to find playing time at the FCS level.

Cole LaCrue has made the most of his opportunity

Cole LaCrue never got much of an opportunity at Wisconsin. He spent two seasons with the Badgers without appearing in a game before transferring to Eastern Illinois, where he finally got his chance to play.

LaCrue showed he could make plays with his legs in 2025, rushing for 498 yards and seven touchdowns while throwing for 851 yards, four touchdowns and seven interceptions. He's been better through the air this season, throwing for 1,093 yards, eight touchdowns and only two interceptions through eight games. He's also added 188 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

The 53.9 percent completion rate isn't great, but cutting the turnovers from seven to two is a big improvement. Of the former Wisconsin quarterbacks still playing, LaCrue has gotten the most out of his move so far.

Mabrey Mettauer is already at his third school

There was plenty of interest in Mabrey Mettauer when he arrived at Wisconsin as a four-star recruit. He appeared in three games as a freshman in 2024 but attempted only one pass before entering the transfer portal.

Mettauer followed former Wisconsin offensive coordinator Phil Longo to Sam Houston and got his first real college playing time last season. He appeared in six games, completing 36-of-61 passes for 293 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

He didn't stay long. Mettauer transferred to SMU after one season and is now at his third school in three years. He has yet to attempt a pass this season with Kevin Jennings leading the Mustangs' offense. Mettauer still has time left in his college career, but his path has been much different from what many expected when he signed with Wisconsin.

Nick Evers hasn't found a permanent home either

Nick Evers was part of Fickell's first big transfer class at Wisconsin after beginning his career at Oklahoma. The former four-star recruit spent the 2023 season with the Badgers but never appeared in a game before transferring again.

Evers finally got a chance to play at UConn in 2024, starting eight games and throwing for 918 yards and five touchdowns while adding 245 rushing yards and three scores. His role decreased the following season, when he appeared in only three games.

That put Evers back in the transfer portal for the third time, and he eventually landed at Missouri. Playing time has once again been hard to find, and Missouri is now his fourth program after Oklahoma, Wisconsin and UConn.

Tyler Van Dyke never really got his chance at Wisconsin

Tyler Van Dyke's situation is a little different because he actually won the starting job at Wisconsin. The Miami transfer opened the 2024 season as the Badgers' starter and completed 43-of-68 passes for 422 yards through three games.

His season ended almost as soon as Wisconsin's game against Alabama began. Van Dyke suffered a season-ending knee injury on the opening possession and never played for the Badgers again.

Van Dyke later transferred to SMU but didn't play during the 2025 season while recovering from the injury. His playing career is now over, and he's an offensive assistant at SMU. His time at Wisconsin will always carry a little bit of a "what if" because the Badgers never really got a chance to see what a full season with him might have looked like.

So, did Wisconsin actually let one get away?

For all the criticism Wisconsin has taken over its quarterback situation, there isn't a former Badgers quarterback tearing it up somewhere else.

Locke went from starting in the Big Ten to backing up at Tarleton State. Mettauer is at his third school and hasn't attempted a pass this season. Evers has now been through four programs, while Van Dyke's playing career is over.

LaCrue has been the exception. He dropped down to the FCS level, found an opportunity at Eastern Illinois and has turned himself into a productive quarterback.

That doesn't mean Wisconsin has figured out the position. Far from it. The Badgers overhauled much of their roster through the transfer portal after another disappointing season, and finding some stability at quarterback remained a big part of that process.

But when a player leaves through the portal, the worst-case scenario is watching him become the player you hoped he would be somewhere else.

So far, Wisconsin hasn't had to deal with that.