Few college football teams are in more dismay than Wisconsin, which still does not have an answer at quarterback entering its Week 11 matchup with Washington. The dysfunctional Badgers are making another change with one month remaining in the season by going back to Danny O'Neil.
After starting Hunter Simmons for the last four games, Wisconsin is giving O'Neil another shot, per On3 Sports' Pete Nakos. O'Neil previously started for the Badgers against Middle Tennessee in Week 2 and against Alabama in Week 3. He also saw significant playing time in Week 1 and Week 4 after injuries forced starter Billy Edwards Jr. out of both games.
Edwards was supposed to be the answer after committing to Wisconsin from the college football transfer portal. He has not played since the Badgers' opening possession against Maryland, his former team, in Week 4.
Head coach Luke Fickell benches Simmons after the senior went 0-4 in October. Simmons had a half-decent showing in his Week 6 debut against Michigan, but he has been dreadful ever since. Wisconsin averaged just 4.25 points per game with Simmons commanding the huddle, including two scoreless outings.
Fickell now hands the job back to O'Neil, whom he prays can snap the team's six-game losing streak.
Wisconsin desperately hopes for a spark from Danny O'Neil
Despite playing sparingly since Week 4, O'Neil is still Wisconsin's leading passer with just 635 passing yards on the year. The Badgers have been one of the worst passing teams in the country all season, averaging just 152.1 passing yards per game. That mark is the second-fewest in the Big Ten and 10th-worst in the country.
Although he has been a disappointment at Wisconsin, O'Neil has had success before. The sophomore started 11 games as a freshman at San Diego State in 2024, where he threw for 2,181 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. The results did not show up in the win column, but O'Neil was one of the best freshmen in the Mountain West after beating out Florida State transfer AJ Duffy to win the Aztecs' starting job.
With four games remaining in the 2025 college football season, Wisconsin is already looking ahead to the offseason. A win over No. 23 Washington would be nice, but the Badgers can only hope for O'Neil to gain some momentum down the stretch to carry over into next season. Unless Edwards is granted a fifth year of eligibility, O'Neil will be the team's only returning quarterback in 2026.
