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Wisconsin starting quarterback Jack Coan suffered a foot injury at Saturday's practice and is awaiting further evaluation, coach Paul Chryst said Monday. Coan, who has started 18 games for Wisconsin, soon will visit a foot specialist. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Sunday, citing sources close to the team, that Coan would undergo surgery and miss at least several weeks. Chryst did not confirm surgery for Coan or how long the senior could be out. "We'll know more in the coming days on that one," Chryst said "We'll find out what all that means." Wisconsin is set to open the fall season Oct. 24 at home against Illinois, before visiting Nebraska on Oct. 31. Redshirt freshman Graham Mertz is working with the first-team offense. Mertz, who backed up Coan last season and completed 9 of 10 passes in two games, is considered the most decorated quarterback recruit in team history. ESPN rated him as the nation's top pocket-passing quarterback and No. 21 overall player in the 2019 recruiting class. Sophomore Chase Wolf and junior Danny Vanden Boom are working behind Mertz. "He works at what he does," Chryst said of Mertz. "Chase and Danny do the same. They'll take advantage of the opportunities they get. We're going to find out more in the next couple days on Jack. Graham, he puts work in. You put the time in, it's important to them, you're going to make progress. I appreciate that he's done that." Coan injured his foot on a noncontact play while dropping back to pass Saturday. He was set to enter his second season as Wisconsin's starter. In 2019, he completed a team-record 236 passes for 2,727 yards with 18 touchdowns and five interceptions. Coan ranked seventh nationally in completion percentage (69.6%) and led Wisconsin to a Big Ten West Division title and a Rose Bowl appearance. Coan is 12-6 as Wisconsin's starter and ranks third in team history in both career completion percentage (68%) and career passing efficiency (144.7 rating). "He cares about this team and doesn't want anything to affect the team in a negative way," Chryst said. "Last thing any guy wants is to not be able to participate. For a guy like Jack, if he missed one practice, he'd be disappointed, and it's already been a couple. But his focus, it's not about him and feeling sorry for himself. He does focus on the guys and this team." Chryst said Wisconsin's offense was going to be different in 2020 after losing All-America running back Jonathan Taylor, leading wide receiver Quintez Cephus and center Tyler Biadasz, the 2019 Rimington Trophy winner. Coan had provided continuity at quarterback, and his potential absence would require additional examination. "One thing Jack's done is been in this system a long time and played in a lot of games, and been in a lot of situational football, so you've got to make sure you're putting together a plan that fits this year's group, this year's offense," Chryst said. "That had to be done regardless. I don't feel any of the quarterbacks are necessarily so different that you're limited or you can do a lot of one thing and not another thing. System wise and your offensive playbook can be similar, but it's what does each guy do well and how do you play to their strengths?"
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