Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook is leaving Madison. Hornibrook, who has started 32 games for the Badgers over the last three seasons while going 26-6 in those starts, informed the team of his decision on Wednesday.
"Alex informed us of his decision to leave the team earlier today," said Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst. "He contributed to a lot of our recent success, and we want to thank him for all he did for our program. We wish him the best of luck."
News that Hornibrook had entered the NCAA transfer portal broke Wednesday afternoon, and it wasn't long after that Wisconsin announced he was leaving the program.
Hornibrook was absent four games last season as he dealt with a back injury early in the year, and then missed time due to a concussion. He was replaced by sophomore Jack Coan, who started in Wisconsin's 35-3 win over Miami in the Pinstripe Bowl. There's also incoming QB Graham Mertz, a four-star recruit from Kansas. It's likely Hornibrook would have been competing with both Coan and Mertz this spring had he returned to Madison, and it seems he'd prefer to seek a clearer path to playing time elsewhere.
Hornibrook initially enrolled at Wisconsin in 2015 and redshirted a season before taking the field in 2016. He's scheduled to graduate in May, so he'll be immediately eligible wherever he transfers. As for where that will be, it'll be interesting to follow. Hornibrook has been successful at Wisconsin, throwing for 5,438 yards with 47 touchdowns, but he also had 33 interceptions and played in an offense that relied heavily on its run game.
