Wisconsin football is set to undergo substantial changes on offense following the departure of Phil Longo and the hiring of Jeff Grimes as the new offensive coordinator. One notable shift could involve enhancing the quarterback’s mobility. Grimes expressed his expectations, stating, “I think they need to show some level of athleticism in two ways. First, they should be able to escape trouble while throwing the football. Second, I want them to pose some kind of run threat to the defense. How significant that threat is can vary depending on other factors; I view it as a sliding scale,” he said (h/t Rohan Chakravarthi of Bucky’s 5th Quarter).
In the 2024 season, Wisconsin’s quarterbacks benefited from solid protection, evidenced by their ranking 10th nationally with a 3.15 percent offensive sack rate. However, despite this protection, the Badgers ranked 86th in the nation with a 2.96 percent offensive interception rate and were just 109th in the FBS, achieving a 56.51 percent pass completion rate. A more agile quarterback might improve passing accuracy even when forced to evade defenders.
“Ideally, you want a big, strong passer who can also run well,” Grimes remarked. “But very few teams have the overall talent to succeed with a quarterback who lacks mobility.”
He further emphasized his stance by stating, “I wouldn’t choose a quarterback unless I believed he could run to some degree.”
