2021 Wisconsin Fall Camp Preview: Offensive line back with experience

In early August, Wisconsin will open fall camp in preparation for the 2021 season opener against Penn State.

You know what that means -- position previews.

Wisconsin will not see Cole Van Lanen or Jon Dietzen on the offensive line this season, but the Badgers will have experience and talent returning to Joe Rudolph's room in another reloading year. The group should be led by a quartet of players with multi-year starting experience, and one second-year lineman who broke into first-team work in April and could be the next big thing.

Position-by position previews: Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide receivers | Tight Ends/Fullbacks |

Wisconsin's first-team offensive line in the spring practices open to reporters went, from left to right tackle: Tyler Beach, Josh Seltzner, Kayden Lyles, Jack Nelson, Logan Bruss. Four of those five players will play their fifth year within the program in 2021.

OK, before discussing Nelson, it should not be overstated that there are four returning starters within the aforementioned five. On the edges, Bruss, who recently saw his name added to the Outland Trophy watch list, exemplifies yet another versatile linemen who can play multiple positions on the right side of the line at either guard or tackle.

Rudolph noted in April that Bruss -- who comes into the season playing in 32 games, 25 of those being starts in the last three years that also includes three starts as a blocking tight end in 2018 -- "is probably our most consistent performer and yet still has a cut it loose, difference-maker mentality."

Rudolph also mentioned that Beach's flip to left tackle was because of Bruss moving out to right tackle from guard. The associate head coach/offensive line coach shared that he "thought it would create really good competition at the left side," according to his April 7 conversation with reporters.

Beach has experience starting at both left tackle (one) and right tackle (seven) during his UW career and has played in 34 career games as a Badger. Rudolph called out Beach's consistency.

"He's a smart player. He's detailed," Rudolph said. "I've challenged him to be more of a 'let it loose' guy, more explosive. Trying to be great rather than maybe trying not to be wrong, and I think he's got that in him and it showed up a little bit in these practices, so I'm going to keep pushing that out of him."

Seltzner worked at left guard in the spring, and the former walk-on could become a three-year starter this season. He started three of the six games he played in 2020 and another four during the Rose Bowl campaign of 2019.

Anchoring the line in the middle, Lyles claimed a Rimington Trophy watch list honor this summer. Like Seltzner, the interior lineman started four games in 2019, and took over the center spot last year for the first four contests before a torn MCL and tibia fracture in his right leg truncated his season.

Lyles worked as that first-team center during spring ball, and he also changed his jersey number to No. 54. Rudolph called the Middleton, Wis., native "one tough Joker" and stated in April that he "has taken a real step forward, his health is much better, his playing strength is better."

"Now, he work is on trust in the technique and the details," Rudolph said.

OK, now to Nelson. It will be interesting to see if Rudolph changes up anything in the rotation at all come fall camp -- especially with those with game experience like Cormac Sampson and Michael Furtney in the perceived two-deep -- but the main surprise during April's practices that were open to reporters was the former four-star lineman working as the first-team right guard.

Inside linebacker Jack Sanborn praised Nelson, the Stoughton, Wis., native and former participant in the 2020 All-American Bowl, during Big Ten Media Days last week.

"He's just got the mentality as an o-lineman," Sanborn said on July 23. "He's definitely brought it to us in spring ball a couple times so, yeah, I'm excited to see how he performs this year. I'm excited to see how the whole offensive line performs."

Tight end Jake Ferguson described the interactions between Sanborn, a Butkus Award watch list candidate, and Nelson during a recent episode of WOZN's "The Camp." A few traits stood out to Rudolph as to why the young lineman was in the position to potentially contribute.

"There is a physicality and explosiveness, a 'let it loose' mentality that is infectious, and I think that's what is really pushing him into the opportunity," Rudolph said during that April availability. "And his athleticism shows up because he's going a million miles an hour. And there's definitely some things from the standpoint of techniques and fundamentals that he needs to clean up so that he can be consistent."

Nelson, "has a lot of passion for the game," according to Lyles.

"He goes out, and he gives it his all every play, whether he's right or wrong on the assignment," Lyles said on April 7. "So we definitely need somebody like that on the o-line, not somebody that's timid or playing to make sure that their assignment is right, but actually just going out there, and just fully just committed to it and playing.

"I've been trying to work with him to be able to like calm down and get his assignment right, obviously, because that's most important. But I think he's in a really good spot and where he's at right now and contributing. Once he gets down, he's going to be one good player."

Dietzen, when speaking with BadgerBlitz.com in early March before Wisconsin's Pro Day, said "if there was a young guy that caught my eye, it would definitely be Jack Nelson."

"The dude has a mentality to just beat the guy across from him no matter what. Granted that wasn't the most legal takedowns that he had every time during practice, but you can't teach wanting to just beat the guy across from him, you know? So as soon as that dude, and I'm sure he's working on it, as soon as that dude gets the technique down and keeps getting developed, he's gonna be a monster.”