Offensive line is the position Wisconsin is known for nationally, and that reputation has certainly helped the Badgers on the recruiting front over the last 10-plus years.
Here's a look back at the last five years of offensive line recruiting and the scholarship athletes the Badgers have signed.
Of the 22 players listed above, 15 hail from the state of Wisconsin, a big reason why the Badgers have been able to recruit the position so well. When the staff does go outside the state borders, it usually targets a player who has competed in front of position coach Joe Rudolph at camp (ie: Kasl, Furtney and Logan Brown and Joe Tippmann in 2019).
What's most impressive when looking back at the last five years of recruiting is how quickly Paul Chryst and Rudolph were able to turn the position around. Gary Andersen's recruiting philosophy and training approach on the offensive line was almost the complete opposite of what Barry Alvarez and Bret Bielema established in Madison. When Chryst took over in 2015, he made it clear the linemen were not close to where they needed to be in the weight room. Fast-forward to last fall, and the Badgers had one first-team All-America (Edwards/AFCA), two second-team All-Americans (Deiter and Benzschawel/Sporting News) and one freshman All-America (Biadasz/FWAA, USA Today). Not bad.
Heading into the summer, this unit was arguably the deepest unit on the entire roster. But three losses to players projected to be in the two-deep (Lyles to DL, and Brett Connors and Kasl stepping away to focus on academics) has put a dent in the depth. Still, with all five starters returning, the Badgers, if healthy, should be strong across the board in 2018. The battle to watch during camp is at left tackle, where Dietzen and Van Lanen are going head to head.
