MADISON, Wis. -- Another year, another quarterback competition. The first order of business for first-year head coach Paul Chryst will be to determine a front runner or even find a starting quarterback for the 2015 season during spring ball.

Stave, a three-year starter, enters spring practice as the favorite to win the starting quarterback job.

Candidate Breakdown

Favorite

Joel Stave

6-foot-5, 220-pounds

Senior

Why the Favorite?

Other than Tanner McEvoy, who doesn't appear to be returning to quarterback this spring, Stave is the one proven commodity Wisconsin has at quarterback. The Badgers have tried other options over the years and the alternative has always fared worse than Stave, who threw for 1,350 yards, nine touchdowns, and 10 interceptions last season, but seemed to be at war with former head coach Gary Andersen throughout the year.

Dark Horse

Bart Houston

6-foot-4, 218-pounds

Junior

Why the Dark Horse?

Is Gillins a good fit for Chryst's pro-style offense?

Houston hasn't stuck around in a quarterback battle yet, but under Chryst could be brought back to life. He'll have to prove this spring he belongs in the race, as his previous two efforts he failed to live up to the hype as a former four-star quarterback.

Austin Kafentzis

6-foot-1, 200-pounds

Freshman

Why the Dark Horse?

One of the most heralded quarterback recruits in program history, Kafentzis the third-best high school career -- in terms of total offense -- ever. As a senior, Kafentzis racked up over 5,700 total yards and 65 touchdowns. The three-star quarterback was the Plan A target from day one. He'll come into spring camp more advanced than most freshman quarterbacks.

Waiting in the Wings

D.J. Gillins

6-foot-3, 201-pounds

Redshirt Freshman

Alex Hornibrook

6-foot-4, 215-pounds

Freshman

What to Watch

McEvoy is expected to return to safety, but could still have a package or two at quarterback.

1. Is McEvoy still in the race?

Sources believe Tanner McEvoy will return to the defensive side of the ball in 2015 -- not a stretch considering the minute Gary Andersen left McEvoy was spending time at safety. It also might not be a stretch to say McEvoy keeps some packages on offense while being a starter at safety.

Last season, McEvoy ran for 574 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 8.8 yards per carry, the best mark among FBS quarterbacks. Defensively, McEvoy likely won't be on the field every play anyway, as Wisconsin returns Michael Caputo, Lubern Figaro, and Austin Hudson and adds junior college product Serge Trezy to a deep safety group.

2. Is Houston now a legitimate contender?

Bart Houston wasn't much of a factor in the last two quarterback battles. In each race, it was pretty obvious Joel Stave, Curt Phillips, and Tanner McEvoy were on a different level.

But does the addition of Chryst now revitalize Houston? Chryst recruited Houston before leaving for Pittsburgh after the 2011 season and was one of the most highly touted quarterbacks Wisconsin had ever signed.

Through three seasons, Houston's biggest highlight was a 52-yard punt against Maryland in 2014. The junior has played in eight games, all in reserve duty with a total of 14 passing yards. He does have a career passer efficiency rating of 161.9 for what it's worth.

3. How open will the quarterback competition be?

Will Chryst's presence revive the career of Houston?

While Wisconsin is inserting their third head coach in four seasons, the Badgers have a three-year starter in Joel Stave. As pedestrian as his passing stats are, Stave owns a career record of 21-7 as a starter, including 8-1 last season. In games he's started and finished, Stave is 21-5, leaving the game with Wisconsin leading against both Michigan State (2012) and South Carolina (2013).

Unless it's McEvoy, Stave doesn't have an established challenger coming into camp. Houston has yet to flash any potential of being a future starter. D.J. Gillins is tapping into his upside, but his stylistic fit under Chryst will be tested. Austin Kafentzis has a big upside and should be ahead of the game of most true freshman quarterbacks the Badgers have ever signed, but is it realistic for Chryst to throw a true freshman out for the season opener against Alabama?

Projected Depth Chart

1. Joel Stave

Senior

Stave is the incumbent starter and played some of his best football down the stretch of the 2014 season, helping Wisconsin get wins over Iowa, Minnesota, and Auburn. A better fit for Chryst's style, Stave was also recruited by the first-year head coach.

2. Bart Houston

Junior

We can see Houston being revitalized by Chryst. Under Gary Andersen, Houston's career was going nowhere, except for maybe as a situational punter. Houston wasn't much of a threat to Stave and McEvoy in the past two quarterback battles. Playing for the coach that recruited him and playing in the offense he was recruited for, if Houston is ever going to make a run at the starting quarterback job, this is the year.

3. Austin Kafentzis

Freshman

How game-ready will Kafentzis be in his first snaps of FBS football?

Kafentzis is one of the best all-around athletes Wisconsin has on its roster. He can also sling the football with precision. If Kafentzis is what we think he is, he'll make a splash right from the get-go and at the very least show flashes of becoming the future of the program. Even though we rank Kafentzis at No. 2 in terms of talent, you don't burn a redshirt season for a quarterback if you don't have to. Houston or Gillins should be the backup quarterback -- assuming Stave wins the job by a large margin.

4. D.J. Gillins

Redshirt Freshman

Gillins doesn't project to be a great fit in Chryst's scheme. A shotgun quarterback who likes to throw on the run outside the pocket, Gillins is going to have his work cut out for him to remodel his game to fit Wisconsin's offense. The ceiling is still very high here, but Gillins needs to improve on his pre-snap and post snap awareness and learn to play under center.

5. Alex Hornibrook

Freshman

Probably 2-3 years of development before he's ready to compete for a starting quarterback job. A big body and big arm, Hornibrook has some exciting tools that make him a good up and coming prospect. Mostly a one-read quarterback right now, who benefited from having some big and fast wide receivers on his high school team, we'll see how Hornibrook adjusts to the FBS level.

