Wisconsin Football Transfer Quarterback Lands at FCS Program

Former Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Deacon Hill, who spent the 2023 season with the Iowa Hawkeyes football program, has found a new home after re-entering the transfer portal this offseason.  

Hill took to social media to announce that he committed to Utah Tech.

Originally a four-star recruit out of Santa Barbara, Hill joined the Badgers in 2021, ranked the No. 27 quarterback and the No. 22 recruit from California, according to 247Sports. During his time with the Wisconsin football team, Hill primarily served as a depth piece in the quarterback room behind Graham Mertz and Chase Wolf. 

Hill, along with several others, entered the transfer portal in October 2022 after Chris McIntosh dismissed head coach Paul Chryst. He would later end up at Iowa under Kirk Ferentz. 

Hill’s tenure at Iowa was marked by a sudden thrust into the starting role because of an injury to Cade McNamara. He led the Hawkeyes to a 6-1 record in his first seven starts, which included a victory over his former team, Wisconsin, and a berth in the Big Ten Championship. However, the season ended on a down note with losses in both the conference championship against Michigan and a bowl game against Tennessee.

The former Wisconsin football quarterback completed 48.6% of his passes last season at Iowa, with 1,152 passing yards, five touchdowns, and eight interceptions.

Now at Utah Tech, an FCS-level program competing in the United Athletic Conference, Hill has the opportunity to establish himself as a starting quarterback at a more appropriate level for his talent. This move comes after Iowa welcomed back McNamara and added new transfer Brendan Sullivan, which made his spot on the depth chart rather uncertain.

Notably, from the Wisconsin football team’s historic 2021 recruiting class, only Riley Mahlman, Hunter Wohler, JP Benzschawel, Darryl Peterson, Ricardo Hallman, and Jake Chaney remain on the Badgers roster.