Wisconsin's 2021 football season is right around the corner, so BadgerBlitz.com ranked the top 30 players who we think will be the keys to success for Paul Chryst's squad this year.

Playing time, past performance and positional depth all factored into our staff rankings.

At 6-foot-7 and 297 pounds, Jack Nelson is a powerful lineman who has a nice mix of physicality and athleticism. A former four-star recruit out of Stoughton High School in Wisconsin, Nelson worked with the first team at right guard this past spring. Offensive line coach Joe Rudolph praised the young guard's physical tools and motor.

“With Jack there is a physicality and explosiveness, a let it loose mentality that is infectious, and I think that is what’s pushing him into the opportunity," Rudolph told reporters this spring. "His athleticism shows up because he’s going a million miles an hour. There are definitely some things from a standpoint of fundamentals that he needs to clean up so that he can be consistent."

In the spring, the No. 1 line consisted of Tyler Beach at left tackle, Josh Seltzner at left guard, Kayden Lyles at center, Nelson at right guard and Logan Bruss at right tackle. Among the projected starting group, Nelson, who appeared in a pair of games for a total of nine snaps as a reserve tackle in 2020, is the lone projected first-team player without any starts under his belt. The talented second year lineman lacks experience but with more practice and game reps, Lyles thinks he can be a good player for the Badgers.

"He’s somebody that has a lot of passion for the game. He goes out and he gives it all every play, whether he’s right or wrong on the assignment," Lyles told reporters this spring. "We definitely need someone like that on the o-line, not somebody that’s timid or playing to make sure of their assignment, but actually just going out there and fully committing to it and playing.

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

Nelson, a highly-touted prospect who will be making the jump into a starter's role in 2021, has all the physical tools necessary to maintain Wisconsin's tradition at the position. It will be interesting to see Nelson's transition from his natural position at tackle to right guard this season. But the move likely indicates he's been identified as one of the five best linemen by Rudolph.

Nelson's insertion to the group of starters speaks to the pipeline Rudolph and the staff have created at offensive line. If he can stick at guard, that could create an opportunity for highly-touted tackles Logan Brown, Trey Wedig, Nolan Rucci and Riley Mahlman in 2022.