Looking at the future of the Badgers offensive line

Looking at the future of the Badgers offensive line

The Wisconsin Badgers got the cherry on top for their 2025 class when four-star offensive lineman Hardy Watts committed to the program on Monday.

Watts, one of the top interior offensive linemen and the top recruit from Massachusetts in the class, provides Wisconsin with their second straight recruiting class with five players at the position, including multiple blue-chippers.

With the influx of talent up front for the Badgers, let’s evaluate the future of the offensive line with a number of intriguing pieces to the puzzle.

Current outlook

At the moment, Wisconsin has a strong front five that should see improvement from last year’s group in Year 2 under offensive coordinator Phil Longo, barring any unforeseen injuries.

The starting group comprises of Jack Nelson, Joe Brunner, Jake Renfro, Joe Huber, and Riley Mahlman from left to right.

The depth is where things get shakier, but the Badgers addressed the issue by adding transfers Leyton Nelson and Joey Okla in the spring, bringing them up to 15 scholarship players at the position.

However, the Badgers could be losing most of their offensive line after the season, as Huber and Nelson are out of eligibility, while Mahlman could very well test the NFL waters.

It’s unclear whether Renfro will remain, as he’s expected to have another year of eligibility due to the medical redshirt, but he and Brunner could use another year of starting experience before looking to make the jump.

That’s where the next batch of players comes in.

2025 options

Heading into 2025, the Badgers will be in limbo between the seasoned veterans and the inexperienced younger players.

Kevin Heywood, the four-star tackle from the 2024 class, is likely next up at left tackle after already cracking the two-deep in the spring. Behind him is where things get murky.

Assuming Brunner and Renfro stay, two spots would be filled, leaving the right side of the offensive line open for competition.

J.P. Benzschawel, who has patiently waited for a starting opportunity after being a four-star recruit in the Class of 2021, could be next up at right guard in his redshirt senior season.

Then, this is where Leyton Nelson could enter the picture, as the current redshirt sophomore was in the mix at right tackle for Vanderbilt before transferring over to Wisconsin. Add in the experience with offensive line coach A.J. Blazek and he could be the answer until some of the younger, more rawer prospects develop.

Regardless, there should be ample competition, as the younger recruits from the 2024 class could begin to break into the rotation, especially Emerson Mandell.

Future outlook

Here’s the Badgers 2024 offensive line recruits: Kevin Heywood, Emerson Mandell, Collin Cubberly, Ryan Cory, and Derek Jensen.

Here’s the Badgers 2025 recruits: Michael Roeske, Cam Clark, Nolan Davenport, Hardy Watts, and Logan Powell.

This is the future for the Badgers. These two classes have a number of high-potential players that could pan out as all-conference linemen in the future.

Of the bunch, I’m most curious about Mandell and Watts, who each have high ceilings and likely project to the interior. Both will be looking for early playing time and were highly regarded coming out of high school, while already possessing college-level frames.

But, each of these players has a chance to be a crucial starter for the Badgers across all five positions.

Let’s look through the projected positions.

Tackles: Heywood, Jensen, Roeske, Clark, Davenport

Interior: Mandell, Cubberly, Cory, Watts, Powell

The Badgers have a number of options they can use for their next group of recruits.

Heywood seems locked into the left tackle spot for the future, which could come as early as 2025.

On the interior, I’m curious if Mandell sees time at guard or center initially, because it feels he could fit well at both spots. Cory projects to play at center, while Watts and Powell are both likely guards.

Cubberly was used in a versatile capacity this offseason during spring ball, seeing time at guard, center, and tackle. It’ll be intriguing where he ultimately ends, but it seemed that the interior fit better for his outlook at the next level.

Overall though, Wisconsin is in really good shape along the offensive line for the future, as they have a strong base in 2024, as well as two deep recruiting classes over the past two cycles.