The Wisconsin Badgers closed out their abbreviated 2020 season with a 42-28 victory over Wake Forest in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Dec.30.

In a year where COVID dominated the headlines, BadgerBlitz.com looks back at the season that was, breaking down the bright spots and low points at each position, with an eye toward the future.

QUARTERBACKS | RBs / FBs | RECEIVERS | TEs |

Jon Dietzen walked away from football in February 2019 due to numerous injuries, apparently calling it a career after 35 games and 32 starts at two different positions. So, when news got out that he was going to try and make a comeback after sitting out last season, that main concern would be how his body would hold up. Although he ran out of gas in the bowl game, Dietzen’s presence and versatility was vital to a UW’s offensive line that only had two seniors and had to replace all three interior positions.

When injuries impacted a variety of offensive line spots, Dietzen was often the one being shifted. Starting the season at right guard, Dietzen moved over to left guard for the next four games because of an injury to Josh Seltzner. When Cole Van Lanen missed the final two games, Dietzen started at left tackle in victories over Minnesota and Wake Forest.

“I think he’s played at a really high level,” offensive coordinator/line coach Joe Rudolph said of Dietzen. “You talk about rootin’ and being excited for someone. He loves the game. He loves Wisconsin. I think he got to the point where he was so disappointed that he wasn’t able to play at a level where he thought he was helping, which he was. I think that culminated with the pain he was going through really set him in a I’ve done all I could and maybe this is the next step I need to make.

“To feel good again, come back and appreciate what he’s doing is pretty cool.”

The two losses leading into the game in Iowa City weren’t gems for Wisconsin, which gave up seven tackles for loss and three sacks to the Wildcats and five tackles for loss and three sacks to Indiana, but the loss to the Hawkeyes was different because of how demoralizing and overmatched UW’s offensive line looked against a quality front.

Iowa’s d-line entered the game ranked second in the Big Ten in sacks (20.0) and tackles for loss (46.0) and dominated UW’s line, leading to the Badgers having a season-worst 225 total yards, a season-low 56 rushing yards on 33 carries (tailback Jalen Berger didn’t play due to COVID) and allowing six tackles for loss and two sacks.

Per Pro Football Focus, UW’s entire starting offensive line graded out worse than their season average. It was an especially bad day for left tackle Van Lanen, who likely hurt his draft stock by allowing pressures from defensive end Chauncey Golston. Of the 21 offensive players who played, Van Lanen graded out the lowest on the team and had a pass-blocking grade that was the fourth-lowest of his career. Golston finished with a team-high nine tackles, a sack and a quarterback hurry.

Van Lanen is off to the NFL and Dietzen is headed back into retirement, but the Badgers appear in a strong position to replace both players on the left side of the line. Logan Brown stepped in for Dietzen in the bowl game and performed OK in his 38 snaps, setting a good base for him to take over the left tackle spot full time. Seltzner will likely take over at left guard after finishing the season with the second-best pass blocking grade on the team among those who played at least 100 snaps (starting right guard Logan Bruss was tops).

Tyler Beach started the final six games at right tackle and showed a lot of qualities of an NFL lineman who now has 34 games under his belt. He made a nice pairing with Logan Bruss, who started the opener at right tackle and didn’t miss a beat when he moved inside to right guard for the final five games of the regular season.

The center position will be intriguing because of the health of Kayden Lyles, who suffered a season-ending injury in the loss to Indiana. That forced fourth-string center Tanor Bortolini to fill in against the Hoosiers and start against Iowa. Cormac Sampson started the bowl game once returning to health. Lyles is unlikely to participate in spring, so building depth with Bortolini, Sampson and Joe Tippmann (if healthy) will be important.

The injuries and shifting of positions give Rudolph some depth. Michael Furtney got his first career start in the bowl game and was UW’s best pass blocker against Wake Forest, per Pro Football Focus. UW also has a really good crop of young linemen who will benefit from the spring, led by former Rivals four-star lineman Jack Nelson.