After Wisconsin added two quarterbacks through the transfer portal, it appears one longtime player has decided to reopen his recruitment. Quarterback Landyn Locke announced on social media that he will not play for the Badgers next season after signing with Wisconsin earlier this month.
I have resigned and am no longer under contract with the University of Wisconsin. I am grateful for the opportunity, but my recruitment is 100% open.
— Landyn Locke (@LadynLocke) December 17, 2024
Quarterback Landyn Locke is leaving the Wisconsin Football team
On Monday, the Badgers added two point guards to the roster, one of whom is viewed as more of a future prospect with potential and the other as a veteran on a new-look team in Wisconsin. Wisconsin football has landed a commitment from senior Billy Edwards Jr. from Maryland, thanks to which the Badgers received an experienced player who could start playing in the team. They also added Danny O’Neil, who impressed in his first season at San Diego State and shows high hopes to take over the starting quarterback job if needed, and also has three years of eligibility left in his college career .
Additionally, Landyn Locke’s brother, Braedyn Locke, entered the transfer portal after starting most of last season at center. The presence of redshirt freshman Mabrey Matteur and incoming freshman Carter Smith only adds to Wisconsin’s crowded quarterback room. It’s basic to see why Locke would disengage and ramp up his recruiting efforts again.
For Locke, this means a turnaround for a player who has been with UW since June 2023.
What did the Wisconsin Badgers lose?
While Wisconsin football is losing some competition at the quarterback position, there is more to the story. Locke is a three-star recruit out of Rockwell Texas High School. His senior season was cut brief by injury, but he was able to rush for 334 yards, completing 30 of 54 passes and three touchdowns before tearing his ACL.
Locke was recruited for his arm strength. When he wasn’t on the football field, he also played baseball. He offered the ability to throw the ball down the field – something that could aid with an aerial attack, as was experimented by Wisconsin football under Phil Longo before he left.
As a junior, he threw for over 1,700 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Unfortunately for Locke, the team appears to have found what it was looking for under recent offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes. The Badgers will not experiment with the Air Raid attack and will look to restore the program’s fierce running game and effective passing. With four-star prospect Carter Smith as a rookie, it’s clear that Smith, Edwards Jr. and O’Neil fit what Luke Fickell and Grimes are looking for at the center position for Wisconsin, not Locke.
Locke had several offers in addition to the one from the Wisconsin football team. Miami, Duke and Cal all had offers on the table for Locke. Time will tell where he ends up, but it won’t be Madison.
