Buried deep on the depth chart, one of Wisconsin’s quartet of quarterbacks is thinking of plying his football wares elsewhere.
Sophomore Joe Brennan was not at the team’s media day Sunday as he has been granted a “sabbatical” by Bret Bielema as "[h]e’s looking into some options outside of the University of Wisconsin to possibly transfer to.”
Brennan, who served as the primary backup to now-departed starter Russell Wilson last season, is No. 4 on the depth chart behind 2012 transfer Danny O’Brien, fifth-year senior Curt Phillips and redshirt freshman Joel Stave. With all three of those vying for the starting job, and with O’Brien, who came to the Badgers from Maryland as a former freshman All-American, expected to land the starting job when the competition ultimately sorts itself out, the odds of Brennan seeing the field even in mop-up duty are almost nonexistent.
Bielema, though, hasn’t completely closed the door on a return.
“I’m not for sure that’s going to happen. I’ve allowed him to take some time away from the program here, explore his options and get a feel for where he’s at and would welcome him back if that’s kind of the direction he wants to go.”
Last year as a redshirt freshman, Brennan threw 14 passes, completing six for 48 yards. While he didn’t throw a touchdown pass, Brennan did score one on the ground in a mid-September win over Northern Illinois.