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Wisconsin football lands commitment from veteran FCS transfer quarterback

Wisconsin football further bolstered its quarterback room on Wednesday, landing a commitment from Southern Illinois transfer Hunter Simmons. Simmons entered the portal as a graduate transfer last month. He played in five games for Southern Illinois in 2024, starting three. He took over the team's quarterback job in late September after starter D.J. Williams went down with a hand injury. Simmons played well in his time under center, completing 73 of 128 pass attempts (57%) for 852 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions, plus adding 57 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Of note, one of his three touchdown passes was a 44-yard strike to former Badger wide receiver Keontez Lewis. Advertisement The veteran's time as the Salukis' starter did not last long, however, as he suffered a season-ending leg injury during the team's Oct. 5 loss to Illinois State. He joins the Badgers with that limited starting stint being the only of his college career to date. Simmons slots into a Wisconsin quarterback room that also includes Maryland transfer Billy Edwards Jr., San Diego State transfer Danny O'Neil and true freshman Carter Smith. Edwards is the clear starter entering 2025, with O'Neil the likely backup. After two years of significant injuries at the position, Wisconsin is clearly compiling as much depth as it can manage. Notably, Simmons follows former Southern Illinois offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Blake Rolan to Wisconsin. Rolan joined the program earlier this offseason as an assistant wide receivers coach. Advertisement The unranked transfer quarterback is Wisconsin's first portal addition of the spring. He is unlikely to be the last, with the team having major needs at left tackle, tight end and wide receiver. For more on the team's pursuits, bookmark our 2025 spring transfer window tracker. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin football transfer portal quarterback Hunter Simmons commit