Report: Wisconsin QB Kare' Lyles to miss spring practice

Wisconsin early-enrollee quarterback Kare' Lyles will miss spring practice with the Badgers because of a left hip injury, reports the Wisconsin State Journal's Jason Galloway.

Lyles, an incoming freshman from Scottsdale, Ariz., was one of two announced early enrollees in Wisconsin's 2016 recruiting class, along with linebacker Dallas Jeanty. His absence from the spring isn't a major issue for the Badgers, although it does thin out an already small group at the position after Joel Stave graduated following last season. Aside from Lyles, the Badgers' only scholarship quarterbacks are redshirt senior Bart Houston and redshirt freshman Alex Hornibrook.

Here's what B5Q's Curt Hogg said about Lyles last month, when Lyles officially signed with Wisconsin on National Signing Day:

The Badger roots run deep in the Lyles family. His father Kevin played tight end for Wisconsin from 1993-1996 and his younger brother Kayden, the fourth-highest rated offensive guard in the 2017 class, is a verbal commit to the Badgers. Karé grew up in the Madison area until moving to Arizona before he began high school.

With the loss of starting quarterback Joel Stave to graduation and redshirt freshman D.J. Gillins transferring out of the program, Wisconsin is left with three quarterbacks in spring camp (including Lyles). The front-runners will be Bart Houston and Alex Hornibrook. In a phone interview in December, Lyles said that head coach Paul Chryst expects him to come in and compete for the open starting job.

Lyles committed to the Badgers early on in the recruiting process and never wavered in that decision. He says that he "shut down" his recruiting process after committing to play for Chryst and the Badgers, which is why he never drew another offer from any other schools.

Four years after the moving away from Madison, he made a return to Wisconsin on an unofficial visit in March. Seeing the city once again sealed the deal.

"Just the feeling of being home did it," he said. "I loved the Midwest and I loved being back. I just felt at home. Seeing Lake Mendota, walking down State Street again, it was great. I got to see everything and fell in love again."

Lyles was also heavily attracted to the coaching staff at Wisconsin, led by Chryst in his first year as head coach.

"I always knew that I wanted to go to Wisconsin," he said. "Getting to know Coach Chryst and the staff and that family atmosphere, it wasn't hard to make my choice."