Since head coach Luke Fickell took over at the end of the 2022 campaign, Wisconsin football has essentially been in quarterback purgatory.
The Badgers have started seven quarterbacks over Fickell’s three seasons and change, and bumping true freshman Ryan Hopkins up to QB1 last week made it eight.
While a plethora of mistakes were certainly made along the way, and it’s pretty mind-blowing that this coaching staff had to go to such lengths to figure out the quarterback position, it might’ve done just that by handing the keys to Hopkins.
It’s only one start, but it was a damn good one. He finished with 241 passing yards and three touchdowns on 75% completion, carving up Rutgers’ hapless secondary.
After diving into the All-22 film, it’s hard to come away from last week’s game without feeling, overwhelmingly, like the Badgers found their quarterback of the future.
Again, Hopkins’ stat line was certainly impressive, but the freshman was quite impressive even on plays that don’t show up in the final box score:
This was a simple go ball to receiver Malachi Coleman (No. 4). While Coleman can’t quite haul it in, the Rutgers defensive back is called for pass interference, and the Badgers move the chains.
But upon closer look, this wasn’t just some cheap penalty ball from Hopkins. He places this throw perfectly; Coleman doesn’t break stride, and the ball is right on the money. That’s about as good a chance as you can give your receiver.
That wasn’t the only pass interference call Hopkins drew Saturday, and the other came on an equally perfect throw to a streaking Jaylon Domingeaux, who was simply tackled by the Rutgers defensive back in the end zone for an easy call.
But of all the plays that didn’t go on in the final box score, this one really should’ve:
This play was initially called a touchdown, but after video review, it was determined that slot receiver Tyrell Henry (No. 0) didn’t survive the ground. Still, that doesn’t detract from Hopkins’ impressive throw.
The 6-foot-3 quarterback puts some serious heat on the ball, zipping it to the front corner of the end zone, past the outstretched arms of the diving Scarlet Knights’ defensive back. There’s nothing too fancy about the route or the throw, but it’s an absolute laser of a pass delivered in rhythm.
That’s an indication of a quarterback in complete control of an offense. One final play that isn’t reflected in the box score:
This is another shot play dialed up by offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes. The wideout Domingeaux (No. 9, bottom of the screen) immediately beats his man off the line of scrimmage. If Hopkins has time to step into this throw, it’s likely a touchdown.
However, the pocket begins to collapse as right guard Austin Kawecki allows some interior pressure. That forces Hopkins to step up and hold onto the football for a second longer. Rutgers nearly wraps him up, but he still manages to get the throw off in Domingeaux’s vicinity, although he puts a little too much on it and it falls harmlessly out of the back of the end zone. But the impressive aspect of this play is the fact that Hopkins even managed to get this throw off. It’s an off-platform throw as he’s off balance, stepping up into the pocket and unable to set his feet.
Nonetheless, Hopkins gives his receiver a great shot.
Hopkins’ pocket navigation was much better against Rutgers than against Iowa last week. As more of a true pocket passer, he’s slower to flee that pocket than his predecessor Colton Joseph. That doesn’t mean he can’t make things happen with his legs when the play breaks down, and he’s far from a sitting duck in the pocket:
