Wisconsin Quarterbacks last 10 years comprise Joel Stave, Bart Houston, Alex Hornibrook, Jack Coan, Chase Wolf, and Graham Mertz.
The aforementioned names played for the University of Wisconsin-Madison football team from 2013 to 2022. Some played their entire collegiate college from the institution, while others transferred to another college.
The Badgers play in the Big Ten Conference’s West Division and compete with Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, and Purdue.
The football program has been active in college football since 1889. They have a bowl record of 19-15, all-time record of 736-512-53, fourteen conference titles, and five division titles,
Over the years, they have developed a heated rivalry with Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska. They have produced two Heisman winners, Alan Ameche in 1954 and Ron Dayne in 1999.
Since the start of the NFL Draft in 1936, as many as 297 former Badgers athletes have been selected. Pat Harder’s selection as the #2 overall is the highest draft spot for the institution.
Here are the NFL Quarterbacks who once wore white and cardinal for Wisconsin.
NFL Quarterbacks From Wisconsin
| Russell Wilson | Denver Broncos |
| Scott Tolzien | Indianapolis Colts |
| Brooks Bollinger | New York Jets |
| Jim Sorgi | Indianapolis Colts |
| Ron Vander Kelen | Minnesota Vikings |
| Randy Wright | Green Bay Packers |
Joel Stave: 2011-2015
Wisconsin football quarterback Joel Stave was born in Greenfield, Wisconsin, and spent his childhood and academic years in his hometown.
As a high schooler, he went to Whitnall High School and played football, track and field, and basketball. He earned a three-year letter in football.
Stave’s high school record was 13,188 passing yards for 127 touchdowns and 24 rushing TDs. Due to his brilliant performance, he earned first-team all-state honors from the WFCA, first-team all-region, all-conference, and second-team all-region in his junior and senior years.
Wisconsin Badgers recruited Stave as a two-star recruit. He redshirted the 2011 season.
On September 15, 2012, he played against Utah State Aggies, marking his debut for the team. Likewise, his first start came a week later, on the 22nd of September against UTEP Miners. This made him the first freshman QB to start since Jim Sorgi.
That year, Joel played eight and started in six. An injury-prone season saw him throw 1,104 yards for six touchdowns.
Throughout his college eligibility, Joel featured in 44 and started in 41. He threw 7,635 yards with a 59.5% completion rate with 48 TDs.
After college, he entered the 2016 NFL Draft but remained unselected. Minnesota Vikings included him in the practice squad that year.
His NFL career was limited to off-season roster and practice squad with Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, New York Jets, and Cleveland Browns.
But we cannot forget how brilliantly he played for the Badgers. His record with the Badgers was 31-10, making him the all-time winningest QB.
Bart Houston: 2013-2016
Bart Houston graduated in December 2015 with a Kinesiology degree. Before Wisconsin, he played for De La Salle High School.
In his HS, Bart pulled 38 wins and one loss under head coach Bob Ladouceur. He helped the school win three State Championships.
The three-letter winner amassed 5,248 throwing yards and 46 TDs. While rushing, he covered 675 yards with 31 TDs.
With great hype surrounding the youngster, the four-star recruit and the no. 7 ranked HS QB chose Wisconsin Badger as his destination.
Like many, Houston redshirted his first season. On August 31, 2013, he made his debut against UMass Minuteman. That year, he featured in a couple of games.
Likewise, his collegiate career featured him in 26 fixtures with only five starts. The most memorable contest was the win over LSU Tigers in 2016’s opening game, and the 2016 Cotton Bowl Classic win against Western Michigan Broncos.
With limited game time, Bart has a record of 65.1% pass completion. He threw for 1,540 yards for nine TDs. As a starter, he was 4-1.
Alex Hornibrook: 2015-2018
Mr. Hornibrook redshirted the 2015 season. But, for the next three seasons (2016-18), he was the first-choice signal caller for the Badgers.
The 26-year-old hailed from West Chester, Pennsylvania, and completed his high school at Malvern Preparatory School.
He made 2,156 passing yards for 26 touchdowns as an HS senior. His 63% pass completion rate earned him the 2014 Pennsylvania Mini Max Award and first-team All-Main Line.
The Badgers welcomed the three-star recruit in 2015.
In his second year, Alex started nine games and was used in three more games. He threw 1,262 yards for nine TDs, granting him the second-best passing yardage record at the school.
Likewise, he started in all fourteen games for the 2017 season and won thirteen games. They were 9-0 in the conference.
His 2,644 passing yards for 25 TDs helped them greatly. They won the Orange Bowl opposite the Miami Hurricanes by 34-24.
Alex threw another 1,532 yards in 2018.
To everyone’s surprise, Hornibrook announced his intention to find a new team in February 2019. He joined Florida State Seminoles on March 10, 2019.
Jack Coan: 2017-2020
Jack Coan was signed by the Indianapolis Colts on May 13, 2022, as an UDFA. He was waived in August and joined San Antonio Bahamas in November.
The XFL QB attended Sayville High School in his hometown, Sayville, New York.
Coan made the high school record with 9,787 passing yards and 128 TD passes. He rushed for 2,551 yards and scored 33 TDs.
ESPN and 247 Sports declared him a three-star recruit, while Rivals called him a four-star prospect.
The 2016 New York Gatorade Player of the Year committed to Wisconsin and played twenty-two games in three seasons.
His first college career pass was made against FAU Owls on September 9, 2017. That year, he played three games where he attempted and completed all five passes.
The 2019 season highlighted his best for the Badgers, where he started in all fourteen ties and threw 2,727 yards. Eighteen TDs with a 69.6 percent pass completion was a good indicator for next season.
Unfortunately, Coan had to forfeit the entire 2020 season due to an injury. After the medical redshirt year, he went to Notre Dame as a graduate student in 2021.
He performed his career best with 3,150 passing yards for 25 TDs for the Fighting Irish.
Graham Mertz: 2019-2022
Graham Mertz played 34 matches for the Badgers from 2019 to 2022. In the Spring of 2023, he transferred to Florida Gators.
The 22-year-old is a Retailing and Consumer Behavior major and will most likely earn his degree from the University of Florida.
He attended Blue Valley North HS as a teenager in Overland Park, Kansas. He was born in the same area and enjoyed growing up there.
Mertz played HS football under coach Andy Sims and made a 51 TD state record in his senior year.
He threw 3,886 yards with a 61.1% accuracy. His overall passing TD was 96 in the HS.
The Class 6A State Champion and the 2018 Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year joined the Badgers as a four-star talent.
He appeared in a couple of games in 2019 before redshirting the entire season.
Similarly, Mertz became the #1 signal caller in 2020 and played all seven matches. The 4-3 record saw the individual throw 1,238 yards for nine TDs.
In 2021 and 2022, he played 25 contests and amassed 4,094 passing yards for 29 TDs. He won the 2020 Duke’s Mayo Bowl and the 2021 Las Vegas Bowl during his four-year reign with the team.
Chase Wolf: 2019-2022
Badger Football QB Chase Wolf entered the transfer portal on 21st February 2023. Previously, he desired to return for the sixth season.
It was mainly because of new signings made by the football program over the transfer period. The QB pool battling for the starting role includes Nick Evers, Tanner Mordecai, Cole LaCrue, Myles Burkett, Marshall Howe, and Braedyn Locke.
Hailing from Saint Xavier HS, the 4.0 GPA holder closed off his HS career with 2,532 passing yards for 27 TDs in his senior year. He helped the team reach the State Regional Final.
Wolf was included in the first-team All-Ohio. He was rewarded with the 2018 Mr. Greater Cincinnati Athlete of the Year and Greater Catholic League South Player of the Year.
Chase committed to the Badgers on May 5, 2017, and got his enrollment on June 17, 2018.
From 2019 to 2022, he was seen as a backup QB. He featured in 13 games and got his first start in 2022.
His collegiate career never took off, and he remained in the shadows all these years. He made three TD passes in limited games with a 58% pass completion rate.