Billy Edwards injury update: Wisconsin QB leaves after non-contact issue in first half vs. Miami (OH)

Wisconsin quarterback Billy Edwards left Thursday’s season opener against Miami (OH) with an injury. He went down with a non-contact issue in the first half of the matchup and later headed back to the locker room.

Edwards arrived at Wisconsin this year after transferring from Maryland, where he spent three years after transferring from Wake Forest. He won the starting job last year as a redshirt sophomore, throwing for 2,881 yards and 15 touchdowns to nine interceptions across 11 games.

Edwards appeared to jog on his way to the locker room, though he had a bit of a limp as he did so. Danny O’Neil then took over at quarterback with Wisconsin ahead, 3-0.

Thursday’s game marked Edwards’ Wisconsin debut after he impressed the coaching staff in camp. His arrival came as the Badgers also brought in a new offensive coordinator in Jeff Grimes, who previously was at Kansas. Grimes spoke highly of Edwards as the season opener approached, pointing out his versatility and the way he carries himself every day.

“His preparation and his willingness to study and be ready for every single day is phenomenal, maybe the best I’ve been around,” Grimes said. “He allows us to be as multiple as we are. You watch us practice and you see the multiple formations and shifts and motions, and you see the quarterback directing things at the line of scrimmage. That takes a lot of work.

“We wouldn’t be able to do the things we’re doing, in terms of pure volume schematically, if we didn’t have a guy like him.”

In what’s shaping up to be a pivotal year for Luke Fickell after the coordinator change – not to mention a challenging schedule – analyst David Pollack picked Edwards as his player to watch in Madison this year. Success at quarterback would be key for Wisconsin to jumpstart an offense that struggled mightily in the “Dairy Raid” system under Phil Longo.

“I think when you’ve watched Luke Fickell’s reign so far,” Pollack said. “They haven’t had a quarterback — they’ve been under a 60 completion percentage. Under. That’s not crazy nowadays. That used to be a really, really high number. Billy Edwards Jr. He was over 65 percent at Maryland. Can he come in and give them some balance? They want to run the football. They’ve got a new OC. It’s a change of times for Wisconsin. Can they get this thing rocking and rolling? But it’s gotta start with the QB position.”