Wolf stays focused if name called
UW quarterback finds self behind Mertz again
MADISON – The job is too important for the routine to change.
To be the backup quarterback is to be patient. It is to be ready for action, though the call to play often doesn't come. If there is a role that screams “just in case,” this is it.
“My coach in high school always told me you're one broken shoestring away from playing, so you have to prepare as if you're the starter,” Wisconsin's Chase Wolf said. “Ever since I've prepared the same way.”
That figures to be the fifth-year senior's approach again this season. With redshirt junior Graham Mertz poised to enter his third season as the Badgers' starting quarterback, Wolf is set for Year 3 as the team's No. 1 backup.
The familiar role comes with new challenges to the position. There is a new offensive coordinator, Bobby Engram. The receivers are largely inexperienced. The depth of the run game this season has placed even greater attention on the need for UWs quarterbacks to keep defenses honest.
It was through that lens that Wolf put together a solid camp, making his share of good throws though not enough to fully satisfy coach Paul Chryst or push Mertz for the starting job.
“For the most part I've been playing smart,” Wolf said. “I know what's a good look for each play and I think I've acted on them. If the first read is not there, I think I done a solid job of going to the second one.”
If any player knows how to handle the backup role, it's Wolf. In high school in Cincinnati, he was the backup to another well-established quarterback, Sean Clifford, who is entering his fourth year as the starter at Penn State.
Clifford, however, missed a handful of games his high school senior season due to an injury. Wolf, one year younger,
picked up the slack, throwing for almost 1,400 yards with 16 touchdowns in five games.
While some backups are never called to play for a significant length of time, Wolf did it at a young age for a program that went on to win a state championship.
“The preparation is the same,” he said. “Obviously in practice you're not getting first-team reps, you're not getting reps with the first-team guys. That is the thing that is different. Outside of practice you still have to build chemistry with the guys even if they're not in your typical group."
Wolf has seen limited action in games for UW. In three seasons, he has played in 10 games, completing 15 of 25 passes for 155 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions.
His most important role on game day has been to serve as an additional set of eyes for Mertz.
"My job during games is first to be ready and No. 2, I want the team to win, so I'm going to help Graham in whatever way I can,” Wolf said. “If I see something he doesn't see, I'll let him know. I'm not necessarily a coach but a cheat sheet for him.”
Wolf was pressed into service against Michigan last season when Mertz left the game early in the second half with a chest injury. Wolf completed three of his eight attempts for 52 yards and a touchdown, but he also had a fumble and interception in the fourth quarter that led to Michigan points in a 38-17 loss.
Mertz was healthy and back under center for the next game.
With a starter slated to return and dwindling eligibility, it would have been understandable if Wolf left UW in search of another opportunity to get on the field. His life, however, is more than football. He is on track to graduate with a degree in Real Estate and Urban Land Economics and Marketing in December.
That is one reason he says it was a “no-brainer” to stay at UW. There were plenty of others.
“The school. The love of the people,” Wolf said. “I love the coaches I have friends here and every year we have a chance to compete for a Big Ten title.”
Wolf, of course, can still cash in his COVID year of eligibility, which would give him a sixth season of college football. He could use that at UW or elsewhere.
He gave the idea some thought during the offseason but ultimately decided to put the idea on the shelf.
“I was thinking about that in the summer," Wolf said, "and workouts started rolling and I was like all right, I just want to focus on the season and then I'll figure out what is next when the season is over."