Wisconsin true freshman quarterback Carter Smith makes debut vs. Washington. What to know
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
True freshman quarterback Carter Smith, a Bishop Verot graduate, entered the game for Wisconsin in the first quarter as the Badgers took on Washington on Nov. 8.
Smith replaced an injured Danny O’Neill, who was carted off the field with an injury after a 21-yard run with 7:14 left in the first quarter.
Smith had six carries for 31 yards and went 0-for-5 passing in the first half after replacing O’Neil. After the Badgers recovered a fumble at the Huskies 7, Smith scored his first collegiate TD on a keeper from 2 yards out to tie the game at 10-10 at 6:26 of the third quarter.
Carter Smith ties it up for @BadgerFootball 🙌
📺: @BigTenNetworkpic.twitter.com/qb70PCbUBt
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 9, 2025
Here is everything you need to know about Smith.
Smith is the fourth quarterback to appear in a game for the Badgers
The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder did not get the start on Saturday, but did get increased reps in practice during Wisconsin’s bye week, according to a Nov. 6 story in the Milwaukee Jorunal Sentinel.
“Yeah, Carter Smith’s in the mix,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said this week. “(During the bye week) we got him out there, got some more opportunities for him. And then that’s one of those things we’ll just have to see.”
“There’s a lot of chances for a lot of guys, but Carter is definitely one of them.”
Fickell said the plan for Smith to play would lean on the parts of the playbook he is most comfortable running.
“I don’t think you just throw him out there to see what you have,” Fickell said. “But you’ve got to prepare him and put him in a situation that if you need him, you’ve got a role.”
Carter Smith was originally committed to a rival school
Smith, who played high school at Bishop Verot in Fort Myers, Florida, was committed to play for the Michigan Wolverines before decommitting in October 2024. About a month later, the four-star recruit made his intentions clear that he would be a Badger.
“It was incredible,” Smith said of his visit to Madison. “From the atmosphere to the people there, even outside the building, everyone was super genuine, good people. I had a blast.”
Carter Smith was a high school phenom
Smith shattered records in his high school career with the Vikings. A starter since his freshman year, he broke 10 area records, including single-season passing yards (3,104), all-time passing yards (8,828), single-season passing touchdowns (29), and total touchdowns in a single season (48).
In November 2024, he surpassed Dallas Crawford to become Lee County’s leader in career passing yards.
Smith was named the Gatorade Florida Player of the Year in 2023 after throwing for 2,223 yards and 29 touchdowns while rushing for 715 yards and 19 more scores.
Carter Smith is a true dual threat
Smith has a knack for putting his head down and getting tough yardage when needed. In high school, Smith rushed for 2,640 yards and 57 touchdowns on 501 carries. In each of last three years, he rushed for at least 13 touchdowns.
Smith can also punt in a pinch — he averaged 36 yards a punt on 67 punts in high school with a 68-yard punt being his longest.
Smith ends a long Southwest Florida QB Drought
Southwest Florida churns out plenty of Division I football talent, but one position it lacks is under center. Plenty of area high school quarterbacks move on to the next level, but usually move to different positions.
Before Smith took his first snap against Washington, the last area product to play a snap for a Power 4 football program was Island Coast graduate Kurt Benkert. He played two seasons at Virginia in 2016 and 2017. Benkert played in 24 games for the Cavaliers, throwing for 5,759 yards, 46 TDs, and 20 interceptions. His last start was in the 2017 Military Bowl on Dec. 28, 2017, making it a span of 2,872 days between Southwest Florida QB appearances.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: What to know about freshman Wisconsin quarterback Carter Smith
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos