New Wisconsin football coach Luke Fickell is stocking up at the quarterback position this offseason. On Friday, he landed an experience transfer signal caller: former SMU and Oklahoma quarterback Tanner Mordecai.
“Wisconsin—After conversations with Coach Fickell and Coach [Phil] Longo, I am excited to announce I will utilize my last year of eligibility at the University of Wisconsin,” Mordecai announced via Twitter. “I could not be more fired up to play at a school with rich history and a winning culture. Let’s ride!”
He joins another former Oklahoma quarterback, Nick Evers, in Madison as Fickell seeks to build depth at the sport’s most important position. Mordecai gives him a player with significant on-field experience.
Mordecai began his career in Norman in 2018, appearing in 12 games for Oklahoma over three seasons. He transferred to SMU ahead of the 2021 season, and played in 24 games for the Mustangs, throwing for over 3,500 yards and at least 33 touchdowns in back-to-back seasons. His ’21 season is his best so far, completing 67.8% of his throws for 3,628 yards, 39 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He was a second-team All-AAC selection that year.
Wisconsin seeks to replace its own veteran quarterback, Graham Mertz. A 32-game starter for the Badgers, he entered the transfer portal after the season, and committed to Florida earlier this month.
The Badgers have dealt with uneven quarterback play for years, dating back to Russell Wilson’s brief stint with the school. Fickell is looking to modernize the offense, bringing in North Carolina offensive coordinator Phil Longo, who helped orchestrate an offense that scored 35 points per game in ’22 and featured a Heisman candidate at quarterback in Luke Maye.
