A lot of second string players in this game.
Guaranteed Rate Bowl | Phoenix, AZ
- Tuesday, December 27 | 9:15 PM
- Wisconsin (-3.5) vs. Oklahoma State | Total: 43
- ATL: OSU -2.3 | ATT: 41
Oklahoma State
- QB Spencer Sanders (Transfer portal)
- RB Dominic Richardson (Transfer portal)
- WR Jaden Bray (Injury)
- WR Bryson Green (Injury)
- WR Braylin Presley (Transfer portal)
- WR Langston Anderson (Transfer portal)
- C Eli Russ (Transfer portal)
- DT Brendon Evers (Opt-out)
- DE Trace Ford (Transfer portal)
- DE Tyler Lacy (Opt-out)
- LB Mason Cobb (Transfer portal)
- LB Na’Drian Dizadare (Transfer portal)
- CB Thomas Harper (Transfer portal)
- S Kanion Williams (Transfer portal)
QB Sanders’ shocking transfer leaves Gunnar Gundy or Garret Rangel at quarterback. Neither of the latter two are appealing options to start this game. Gundy and Rangel combined to complete 52% of passes with a 5/7 TD/INT ratio this year filling in for Sanders. The pair also doesn’t provide the rushing utility that Sanders did. Sanders finished No. 2 on the team in rushing. The leader, RB Richardson, won’t play either after announcing his intent to transfer. WR Bray was shut down and will take a redshirt this season. WR Green didn’t play in the finale against West Virginia with an undisclosed injury. WR Braylin Presley was a reserve. OSU can still go three-wide with a trio that had 500-or-more snaps this fall with WRs Brennan Presley, John Paul Richardson, and Braydon Johnson – but depth has obviously taken a big hit. DE Lacy was a 285-pound edge-setter who also chipped in 6.5 sacks the past two years. DE Ford and LB Cobb were starters and team leaders. Cobb had 96 tackles in the fall – he has transferred to USC. DE Brock Martin, a second-time All-Big 12 selection, declared for the NFL Draft but announced he would play in this game. If he changed course, OSU would be in deep trouble on the edge.
Wisconsin
- QB Graham Mertz (Transfer portal)
- QB Deacon Hill (Transfer portal)
- RB Isaac Guerendo (Transfer portal)
- RB Braelon Allen (Injury)
- WR Stephan Bracey (Transfer portal)
- WR Markus Allen (Unknown status)
- TE Jaylan Franklin (Transfer portal)
- TE Clay Cundiff (Injury)
- TE Cam Large (Injury)
- TE Cole Dakovich (Injury)
- OT Logan Brown (Transfer portal)
- OG/TE Tyler Beach (Opt-out)
- OC Joe Tippman (Opt-out)
- NT Keeanu Benton (Opt-out)
- LB Tristan Monday (Transfer portal)
- LB Nick Herbig (Opt-out)
- CB Semar Melvin (Transfer portal)
- CB Jay Shaw (Opt-out)
- CB Justin Clark (Opt-out)
- S Titus Toler (Transfer portal)
QB Mertz, the longtime Badgers starter, is out the door. There were reports he would transfer to Kentucky to take over Will Levis’ former post, but Mertz is taking additional visits before making anything official. The Badgers are down to Chase Wolf and Myles Burkett at quarterback. That’ll probably come down to whether Wisconsin wants to reward the veteran Wolf in his last collegiate game or take the evaluation opportunity to get an extended look at the youngster Burkett. RB Allen’s status is an open question mark. Allen seemed to shoot down rumors that he could transfer with a tweet after the regular season insinuating he was committed to Wisconsin. But Allen has a right leg injury that has tagged him with a questionable designation for this game. RB Guerendo’s loss will be felt more on special teams, where he was the kick returner. WR Allen entered the portal, pulled out, and then returned to school. It is unclear if Allen will play in the bowl game. TE Cundiff and TE Large were lost for the season earlier in the campaign. Between those losses, TE Franklin’s transfer, and TE Dakovich’s up-in-the-air health status, the Badgers are down to Jack Eschenbach and Hayden Rucci at TE. OC Tippman was a longtime starter along the offensive line who the NFL is highly interested in. Wisko’s OC2 took only 28 snaps this year. OG Beach and OT Brown were part-time starters. OG Michael Furtney entered the transfer portal but pulled out to return – it appears he will be active for the bowl. NT Benton’s loss deprives the Badgers of their interior space-clogger. Defensive end is the only position on the entire roster where Wisko appears to still be at full-strength. The Badgers have only one remaining starter at corner, and the depth at that position is shot. Three-of-the-four top safeties are still around. That group may get more nickel responsibilities in this one.
Coaching News New Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell won’t coach in this game, but alluded to being around to help. He may get some input on personnel decisions, such as the starting quarterback decision. Fickell hired ex-UNC OC Phil Longo to call plays in 2023, but Longo’s system won’t be installed until the offseason. More topically to this game, Wisconsin’s interim HC Jim Leonhard, a favorite of players and the fanbase alike, will leave the program after this game following conversations with Fickell. The players figure to give Leonhard strong effort in Leonhard’s last game with the school before moving on.
