The 2025 Wisconsin football season has been awful and filled with bad luck. The Badgers are only 2-2, but after beating their first two Group of Five opponents, they were blown out by Alabama and Maryland in the following games, putting Luke Fickell on the hot seat. Due to injury, they also missed their starting quarterback, Billy Edwards Jr. He won't be available this weekend, either against Michigan.
CBS Sports national football reporter Matt Zenitz reported that Billy Edwards Jr. is not expected to return for the Wisconsin offense after being sidelined since Sept. 20 due to a lingering knee injury. It is unclear when Edwards will return because his absence will hurt this struggling offense even more.
Zenits posted on X: “Wisconsin starting QB Billy Edwards is not expected to start against No. 20 Michigan tomorrow as he works back from a lingering knee issue. He started the team’s last game on Sept. 20 but left due to the lingering knee issue.”
It seemed like it was an uphill climb for Edwards to suit up this weekend, with sophomore Danny O’Neil acknowledging on Tuesday that he had taken a majority of the reps at quarterback ahead of the Michigan game.
Edwards suffered a knee sprain in Wisconsin’s Week 1 win over Miami (OH). He tried to go in Wisconsin’s Big Ten opener against the Maryland Terrapins, but clearly looked less than 100 percent and did not return after a drive, re-aggravating the injury. With the Badgers hoping for Edwards to return soon, Danny O'Neil will be suiting up in one of the most challenging games of his young career against the Michigan defense on the road.
In Week 2 against Middle Tennessee State, he completed 23 out of 27 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns in Wisconsin’s 42-10 win over Middle Tennessee State. Then, he struggled against Alabama, throwing for 117 yards and two interceptions, and he got sacked four times in the 38-14 loss.
Danny O'Neil will need all the help he can get against Michigan, especially with injury concerns up front for Wisconsin's surrounding center, Jake Renfro. If Wisconsin can't protect O'Neil, this game will get out of hand fast due to the Michigan defense's elite nature.
