SPORTS

Amherst star gets shot at becoming Badgers QB

Scott A. Williams
USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Amherst graduate Garrett Groshek, who led the Falcons to a Division 5 state championship in November and earned all-state honors as a senior, has been informed he'll get a chance to play quarterback as a freshman walk-on at the University of Wisconsin.

MADISON - Garrett Groshek has played quarterback for as long as he's played football.

That was about to change this fall when Amherst's all-state quarterback was going to join the University of Wisconsin football program as a walk-on.

Recruited as an "athlete," Groshek was willing to settle for lining up at safety or linebacker if it meant being a Badger and having a chance to play Division I football.

Now Groshek has been informed by UW football coach Paul Chryst he will have a chance to compete for a quarterback job after all.

"The big thing is I always just wanted to play at the highest level (in college)," he said.

The Amherst graduate received a phone call last month from coach Chryst informing Groshek there would be a change of plans and that his freshman walk-on recruit would be returning to quarterback; at least for now.

RELATED:How Amherst football makes champions

RELATED:Amherst's Groshek shines on biggest stage

RELATED:Battle for Badgers quarterback job up in the air

"(Coach Chryst) told me Year 1 I'm going to be a quarterback and we'll take it from there," Groshek said. "I was kind of surprised at first and excited at the same time. It's just nice to have an opportunity at the highest level to play quarterback, which is one of the toughest positions to play.

"There is a long way to go before I take any real snaps. My focus is on learning the formations and shifts right now. I'm just trying to get better."

With the departure of three-year on-and-off starter Joel Stave to graduation, who will succeed him is anyone's guess since none of the current candidates separated himself during spring practice.

UW returns fifth-year senior Bart Houston, who has the only playing experience at the position among the returning options, along with red-shirt freshman Alex Hornibrook and true freshman Kare' Lyles.

Moving Groshek to quarterback makes sense on a lot of levels. Not only to provide depth and give UW another dual-threat player at the position, but it's also hard to ignore the eye-popping production he put up in his final two seasons with the Falcons.

Groshek accounted for 6,936 yards of total offense and 93 touchdowns. His high school coach feels he's a natural for the quarterback position at any level.

"He loves playing quarterback I think because he has this hands on the ball every play and he has the confidence in himself to make the play," Amherst football coach Mark Lusic said. "His team also has the confidence in him to make a play.

"He is a great field general; another coach on the field."

Chryst, who also serves as the Badgers quarterbacks coach, will get a chance to see those attributes up close when fall practice begins in August. (Chryst did not respond to USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin requests for comment for this story.)

Listed at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds in the 2015 WIAA state championship media guide, Groshek may not measure up as a prototypical Division I quarterback. By comparison Houston and Hornibrook both stand 6-foot-4.

However, Groshek ranked among the strongest players on the Falcons' roster. Always a threat to hurt teams in the running game with his combination of power and deceptive speed, Groshek gradually improved as a passer during his high school career.

As a junior, he passed for 1,825 yards and 16 touchdowns, but Groshek improved on those numbers dramatically last season with 2,398 yards and a ridiculous 41 TDs through the air.

High school is one thing. He's discovering Division I college football is a completely different animal.

"I'm not really even thinking about being the starting quarterback," the former Falcon said. "I haven't had much time to do much thinking about anything. I'm usually either working out or doing rehab. I'm just trying to get better by throwing, lifting and through the different workouts."

Right now, Groshek, who has dealt with tendonitis in his knees since his sophomore year at Amherst, is just trying to settle into the Division 1 football routine while dealing with summer school.

Initially most of his reps could come on the scout team — the players who impersonate the opposing team on each side of the ball in practice during the week.

With games against LSU and Ohio State on the 2016 schedule, Badgers coaches are looking for someone capable of running the read option, a staple of the Amherst offense in his high school career.

So Groshek could very well be playing the opposing quarterback on the scout team to help prepare the Wisconsin defense for what they're going to see offensively from the opposition each Saturday. And who knows what might happen if he gives the Badgers headaches in that role.

"(Garrett) loves football," said Lusic, who watched Groshek thrive as a three-year starter at quarterback for the Falcons. "He's a true football player. He will play anywhere a coach asks him to play. He just wants to be on the field."

For now, Groshek will be lining up at quarterback.

Scott A. Williams can be reached at 715-345-2282, or on email at ssswilliam@stevenspoint.gannett.com. Find him on Twitter as @SPJScottWill

Amherst graduate Garrett Groshek, who led the Falcons to a Division 5 state championship in November and earned all-state honors as a senior, has been informed he'll get a chance to play quarterback as a freshman walk-on at the University of Wisconsin.