Wisconsin Football: The Tale of Two Transfers

When Danny O'Brien signed on to become a Badger, most critics reminded the public that his predecessor, Russell Wilson, was the exception and not the rule. 

In fact, once before the Wilson era, Wisconsin had an exciting young prospect transfer into the program. While the hype was much more muted, the expectations were still there. His name was Allan Evridge, and his dismal 2008 season acts as the perfect foil to Wilson's 2011 masterpiece. 

Evridge was a newcomer to the Badger program from Kansas State and left the Wildcats in 2005. Much like O'Brien, Evridge started off well as a redshirt freshman for Ron Prince and threw for a freshman record 1,365 yards. He made the move to Madison, sat out per NCAA rules and saw the field starting in 2007. In seven games that year, he recorded five completed passes for 66 yards as a backup. 

The next year he won the starting job, and the entire state of Wisconsin entered a year-long bout of sports-induced depression. The once-promising Evridge was pulled after only six games and multiple bad decisions. Most fans will remember his poor play as the catalyst for the devastating Michigan come-from-behind win at the Big House. 

Wilson, on the other hand, was a perfect fit for the Wisconsin system, and his name will be revered around the Midwest for years to come. But that brilliance may have caused selective amnesia in Badger fans when it comes to the program's mixed legacy of transfer quarterbacks.

Right now, Danny O'Brien sits squarely in the middle of the two players. His stellar freshman season was dulled by a shaky sophomore year. He has seen his name on the top of the roster and as a backup.

O'Brien still has a chance, though, to prove himself at the University of Wisconsin. Only time will tell on which side of the record books the new Badger will write his legacy.