Russell Wilson could put the Badgers over the top

Before the 2011 Wisconsin Badgers spring game, Big Red had what appeared to be a sizable hole at the quarterback position, with the Badgers needing to replace graduating senior and Unitas Award winner Scott Tolzien. The heir apparent, sophomore Jon Budmayr, was relatively highly touted out of high school, being ranked by Scouts.com as the 17th-best quarterback in the nation. He appeared in mop-up duty three times last year, going 8 for 10 with a touchdown.

Since the spring game, however, that hole has grown into a deep chasm, with the Badgers on one side and a return to a BCS bowl fading away in the distance on the other. Budmayr and the Badgers two other quarterback hopefuls. freshmen Joe Brennan and Joel Stave, combined to complete 22 of 61 passes for 3 interceptions and no touchdowns. For now, Budmayr is still considered the starter, but few believe he is ready to lead the Badgers if they plan to compete for a Big Ten title.

Enter Russell Wilson, college football's first "free agent". Wilson, a former standout quarterback at NC State, left school after his junior year after he was drafted by the Colorado Rockies to play in their minor league system. Wilson now wants to return to finish his eligibility as a quarterback and pursue a career in the NFL. Having been granted his release from NC State, Wilson is now free to take his talents to any school he chooses, and because he has already graduated, he is not required to sit out a year, as is customary for transferring athletes.

Wilson initiated contact with Wisconsin to indicate that he might be interested in playing for the Badgers this season. Other teams are also in the running, including defending national champion Auburn. However, Wisconsin gives Wilson the best shot to be the unquestioned starter for a BCS contending team.

Could Wilson and the Badgers be a good fit? The Badgers' pro-style, run-first offense would take some getting used to for Wilson. However, he certainly has the talent to make the Badgers a major force in the Big Ten and in the nation next year.