Key Wisconsin Badgers: No. 8 - Offensive tackle Logan Bruss

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.

When offensive line coach Joe Rudolph laid out the two-deep along the offensive line this spring, redshirt senior Logan Bruss was listed with the first team at right tackle, a familiar role for the veteran lineman. After starting six games at right guard in 2020, he's returning to a position where he recorded 12 starts in 2019. Across his career, Bruss has appeared in 32 games with 25 starts, including 15 at right tackle. Rudolph called Bruss the team's most "consistent performer" who also has a "cut-it-loose, difference maker type of ability."

As someone with a quiet demeanor, Bruss leads more so by example. At 6-foot-5 and 319 pounds, his play speaks for itself as something players strive to model.

"He is somebody that is going to go out on the field and work in every play, every opportunity that he has," teammate Tyler Beach said this spring. "It’s something that when you’re watching him, you pick up from."

"He leads by example. He's definitely increased his voice but when you watch, you're kind of like, 'damn, that dude is doing the stuff that I want to put on tape.'" Rudolph added. "He's cutting it loose, he's playing fast, there's the detail, so I think he's earned a voice through the way he plays."

Swinging out to right tackle is far from a foreign position for Bruss, but the switch comes with a bit of a transition period. Prior to his work at right guard this past season, Bruss started 19 games - 15 of which came at right tackle - during his first two seasons.

"It's just something I've been most comfortable at. Played it a couple years ago and just coming back from guard, there are some things that you have to relearn," Bruss told reporters in the spring. "Some things are a lot different than guard but, overall, a lot of the stuff is the same, just different techniques here and there. Just gives you different appreciation for the game. Hopefully I can use some of those experiences I had at guard last year to help me be better at tackle."

Of all the talent along the offensive line that Wisconsin boasts, Bruss stands out amongst the group. The former three-star recruit out of Kimberly (WI) has become a leader along the line and the return to tackle puts him in the best position to succeed, according to Rudolph. Another solid year of tape will help his NFL Draft stock during the offseason.

"Bruss is probably our most consistent performer and yet, still has a cut-it-loose, difference maker type of ability. Putting him in a spot where he can do just that was an emphasis for this season," Rudolph said in the spring.

The offensive line is filled with players who have plenty of game experience, and Bruss is a prime example of that. His play this season will anchor the group and he can be a key mentor for young linemen such as Trey Wedig, Riley Mahlman, Nolan Rucci and J.P. Benzschawel, among others.