It appears Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita might have some competition for the starting job ahead of the 2025 season, as the Wildcats are expected to land Wisconsin transfer signal-caller Braedyn Locke.
Locke started 16 games for the Badgers during his two seasons in Madison, as Wisconsin dealt with injuries to its starter in consecutive years, thrusting him into a starting role. Locke initially began his career with Mississippi State.
In all, Locke passed for 2,713 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions over two seasons with the Badgers and will bring even more Power Four experience to the Wildcats’ quarterback room.
It’s unclear what the plan for Locke will be in Tucson, as Fifita has spent the last two seasons as a starter and was a pivotal part of their 10-win campaign in 2023. However, he experienced significant regression in 2024, and the Arizona offense struggled as a result.
After going 4-8, however, Fifita decided to stay locked in and os set to return in 2025.
The transfer portal officially opened on Monday, December 9, 2024, and will remain open until Saturday, December 28, with an exception for players on teams who play bowl games after the window closes. According to NCAA data, 2,273 FBS football players entered the transfer portal in 2023-24 school year, with 1,558 (68.5%) undergraduates and 715 (31.5%) graduate transfers. Of the entrants, 57% reported that they enrolled in another school, 8% withdrew their names from the portal, and 35% are still active, transferred to a non-NCAA school, or left their sport.
The Heartland College Sports Twitter account is an excellent resource for keeping up with the latest Big 12 news and announcements. Make sure you check out our HCS member forum to connect with other Big 12 sports fans.
