Wisconsin football coach Luke Fickell provided an update on starting quarterback Billy Edwards Jr.’s injury status in his weekly press conference on Tuesday.
Fickell said Edwards will likely miss Wisconsin’s Week 2 contest against the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders on Sept. 6. The quarterback is less than a week removed from suffering a lower-body injury early in the second quarter of the team’s Week 1 win over Miami (Ohio).
“I don’t believe that Billy (Edwards Jr.) will be playing,” Fickell said to begin his press conference. “He didn’t practice, so Danny (O’Neil) would be the guy we go with, and Hunter (Simmons) would be the backup.”
Edwards opened the contest against the RedHawks with six completions for 68 passing yards before O’Neil, who spent 2025 as San Diego State’s starter, assumed No. 1 quarterback duties. In his first appearance as a Badger, O’Neil registered 120 yards through the air and two total scores, guiding the team to a season-opening 17-0 triumph.
Considering Wisconsin’s Week 2 opponent, the update doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Middle Tennessee State is No. 134 among 136 eligible programs in ESPN’s Football Power Index. The Badgers, who held Miami (Ohio) to zero third-down conversions in Week 1, boast the No. 36 ranking in the hierarchy.
Edwards’ availability will become much more significant beyond Week 3 when the heart of the schedule arrives. The stretch between Sept. 13 and Nov. 22 includes games against Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Illinois and Indiana.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Luke Fickell provides injury update on Wisconsin quarterback Billy Edwards for Week 2
Reporting by Mike Hall, Badgers Wire / Badgers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
