Luke Fickell: ‘We have 2 QBs who understand the offense and can run the offense’

MADISON, WI - SEPTEMBER 19: Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph (1) drops back looking to pass in a college football game between the Eastern Michigan Eagles and the Wisconsin Badgers on September 19th, 2026 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, WI. (Photo by Dan Sanger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The Wisconsin Badgers elected to start true freshman Ryan Hopkins over veteran starter Colton Joseph last weekend against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Their decision paid off, as Hopkins threw for 241 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start, as the Badgers won 31-10.While head coach Luke Fickell acknowledged that Joseph was a little banged up entering the week, he did note that Joseph was healthy and good to go ahead of game time, but the Badgers were going to Hopkins for the start on Saturday.Now, going into Maryland week, Fickell and the Badgers plan to lean on Hopkins once again for his second straight start.“That’s the direction we’re planning to go this week,” Fickell said of starting Hopkins at quarterback. “We’re not trying to hide that. Ryan played well enough for us to win, and it’s another opportunity for him to continue to grow.”However, that doesn’t mean that Wisconsin has lost hope in Joseph. The Badgers plan to continue having the competitive spirit in practice and believe in Joseph’s understanding and ability to run the offense.“At the same time, we feel like we have two quarterbacks who understand the offense and can run the offense. There are some differences between them, but probably more similarities than people realize,” Fickell added.“Ryan will start the week as the guy, but there’s still a competitive nature to everything we do throughout the week. Our responsibility is to figure out what gives us the best opportunity to win, not just offensively but as a football team.”How has Joseph handled the news?“It’s never easy,” Fickell acknowledged. “Last week was probably a little easier because he was dealing with an injury, and that allowed us to focus on getting him healthy. The reality of the situation settles in more when you win a football game and everybody starts wondering which direction you’re going to go.“Those situations are hard. They’re hard on the players, hard on the locker room, and hard on the dynamics within a team. We still have mostly 18-to-22-year-olds, and these are not easy things for anybody to go through. This is another step in learning how to manage that quarterback room. We have to evaluate Colton’s health, his ability to play, and what gives us the best opportunity to succeed as we make a push over these last few weeks of the season.”Joseph’s future will be a big question mark for the program this offseason, as it looks like Wisconsin is planning to ride Hopkins for the rest of the season before evaluating the quarterback position again for 2027. Wisconsin ends the year facing Maryland, Purdue, and Minnesota.