Wisconsin's 2023 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 Luke Fickell's squad this year.
Playing time, past performance and positional depth all factored into our staff rankings.
RECRUITING STORY
Jake Renfro had one Power Five offer (Syracuse) out of high school, but he elected to commit to Fickell and Cincinnati in the class of 2020. In 2021, he blossomed into a first-team All-AAC player as a center for the Bearcats. After missing the entire 2022 season due to injury, he entered the transfer portal on Dec. 1.
Renfro was an extremely hot commodity in the portal. Many schools, including heavyweights like LSU, vied for the lineman's services. Ultimately, Wisconsin and his former coach Fickell won out over Brian Kelly and the Tigers. Renfro visited Madison twice during his recruitment period in the transfer portal.
"The feeling I had when I got up there, it was unlike anything else," Renfro said. "The city of Madison is phenomenal and the players are great - they all love football at Wisconsin. They play hard and are just a bunch of great guys.
"Obviously my connection with the coaches is something special as well. I love those guys and I've been with them for almost three years. I know something great is going to happen at Wisconsin real soon and I needed to be a part of it."
STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSESÂ
Looking at the advanced stats from Renfro's All-AAC campaign in 2021, it's easy to see why the center was so highly coveted in the portal. According to Pro Football Focus, he never allowed more than two pressures in a single game. He never allowed more than a single hurry. He gave up just two sacks across 390 pass-blocking snaps.
"It was definitely a little difficult coming in seeing all of these new guys that have played a lot of football here...I really try to make my voice heard, establish that leadership, and let the guys know I'm here to play. We're here to win a championship, and we're gonna do that this year. We've got some really great people...we mean business."
Renfro was unable to partake in much of spring practice, and was "extremely limited" down the stretch, leaving Tanor Bortolini to handle first team reps at center. Nevertheless, he's expected to be fully healthy by the opener and should serve as a fantastic replacement for the Badgers' former starting center and current New York Jet, Joe Tippmann.
WHY HE'S No. 7
Renfro came to Madison to be a plug-and-play starter at center. Despite a rocky road with injuries, he's slated to be the man in the middle this fall for an offensive line that needs to replace two starters from a season ago. After the Badgers deployed eight different combinations along the offensive front last year, continuity will be key this season, especially as Phil Longo installs his offense. All signs point to Renfro being a staple of the offensive line and one of the better lineman Wisconsin trots onto the field week in and week out.
OVERALL
As long as Renfro can stay healthy, he should be a rock in the middle of the Badgers' offensive front. His familiarity with the coaches he played for at Cincinnati should help ease the transition for the entire offensive line. Wisconsin traditionally prides itself on developing home-grown lineman, but Renfro fills a major area of need this season and looks like the piece the Badgers needed to return to the elite offensive line play they're accustomed to in Madison.
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