Notes: Dietzen on playing left tackle, Loudermilk's rehab progressing

MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin Badgers held their local media day on Wednesday afternoon at Camp Randall Stadium, and BadgerBiltz.com was there to talk with the players and coaches before they gear up for their first practice of camp on Thursday morning. Our notes and a few news items are included below.

The Badgers are returning a full slate of starters from last year’s offensive line, but there is an open starting job at left tackle with senior Michael Deiter slated to move back to left guard after playing left tackle in 2017. Right now junior Jon Dietzen and sophomore Cole Van Lanen appear to be the top options to replace Deiter, and Dietzen said that he thinks playing on the edge could be a good fit for him - now that he feels fully healthy again.

“Having more freedom of movement is something that I think is going to help me,” Dietzen said Wednesday. “I’m feeling miles and miles better. I was playing through a lot of pain last season but this season I’m hoping to feel good all season.”

Dietzen said he and offensive line coach Joe Rudolph discussed a move to left tackle during spring camp, which Dietzen missed while recovering from surgery to repair torn labrums in both of his hips - injuries he attempted to play through in 2017. But with a clean bill of health for 2018, Rudolph said that he thinks Dietzen has a chance to do what Deiter did last year and move to tackle for the time being to give the Badgers a chance of having their best five linemen on the field at one time.

“I wasn’t sure (about the move) until he jumped out there and did drill work during the summer,” Rudolph said Wednesday. “I think he’ll do real well (at tackle). I think it will be a good thing for him. He might have that role kind of like what Deiter had where he’s out there and then maybe gets the opportunity to come back in. We’ll see if it’s a home for him.”

The Badgers took two big blows to their defensive line depth chart over the summer when junior defensive end Garrett Rand sustained a season-ending achilles injury, and when sophomore defensive end Isaiahh Loudermilk underwent surgery to repair a leg injury that flared up at the end of spring camp. But while Rand will have to wait until the 2019 season to get back on the field for the Badgers, Loudermilk said on Wednesday that he’s hoping to be ready to go by the time the Badgers open Big Ten play in Week 4 - if not earlier.

“Definitely by Big Ten play,” Loudermilk said when asked when he thought he could get back on the field for the Badgers this year. “It’s kind of hard to tell right now where I’m at. It’s a process.”

Loudermilk said that he has yet to be cleared to run, but he can do some weight lifting and other leg work as his recovery progresses. The Badgers could have left him off of their 105-man fall camp roster to let him recover - but the team is hopeful that he can get back on the practice field towards the end of camp and take things day by day from there.

After losing Loudermilk for the early part of the season and Rand for the duration, the Badgers decided to move redshirt freshman Kayden Lyles from the offensive line to the defensive line to boost a depth chart that was already looking for ways to replace three veterans from last year’s team. Head coach Paul Chryst said at the Big Ten Media Days in Chicago that Lyles was ‘all-in’ on helping the defensive line in 2018, even if his future might be back on the other side of the ball, and defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard and defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield said on Wednesday that they are excited to see what the 6-foot-3, 323-pound Lyles can bring to the defense in 2018.

“He’s a big athletic kid who we think maturity wise can help right now, even though he has limited experience on defense,” Leonhard said of Lyles. “He played there in high school so he has a little experience, but obviously not at this level. We felt like it was a great fit for us and we think he can really up us this season.”

Breckterfield was particularly excited to get to work with Lyles - saying that he’s had his eye on the big UW legacy ever since he got on campus last year.

“Oh yeah I’ve been bugging him since he got here to get him to come over to the defensive line,” Breckterfield said. “We all kind of talked about it and we decided to see if he would be open to it. Obviously the reason he’s coming over is a bad one … but I’ve been in his ear since day one about him moving over. He’s here now and he’s embraced it and he’s all in. He’s played the position before so the curve isn’t too bad (but) it will take every practice this camp to get him comfortable.”

And while Leonhard said that it’s too early to think about what Lyles will do for the flexibility of the defensive line, don’t be surprised if the Badgers give senior nose tackle Olive Sagapolu or true freshman Bryson Williams a look at defensive end during camp to see if they can give that part of the depth chart a boost as well.

-- Head coach Paul Chryst said that he expected senior tight end Zander Neuville and junior running back Bradrick Shaw to be able to get some work in during camp, even if they aren’t full-go right away. Both Neuville and Shaw suffered season-ending injuries late in the 2017 season, and Chryst said that they will manage their workloads as they continue to recover.

“(Shaw) is going to be able to do some things in camp, but I think we’ve got to be smart with him. Really the same with (Neuville). It was the Minnesota game, so a late injury,” Chryst said. “I think the rehabilitation has been good to this point. They’re cleared to do a lot, but I think we’ve got to be smart with how we do it and make sure we’re doing it right for them - and if it’s right for them it’s right for our team.”

-- Would-be sophomore Patrick Kasl has decided to retire from football and focus on his academics, Chryst said Wednesday during his local media day press conference. Kasl was expected to compete alongside Van Lanen and Dietzen for a spot at left tackle during fall camp. Redshirt freshman Logan Bruss appears to be the next man up on the tackle depth chart after he performed well during spring camp, and he should fill in at right tackle behind returning starter David Edwards.

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John Veldhuis covers Wisconsin football, basketball and recruiting for BadgerBlitz.com on the Rivals.com network. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnVeldhuis.