MADISON, Wis. -- Earlier in the week, local reporters got a chance to catch up with offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. and a handful of players in his room.

The comments from the group regarding the talent and depth at the position stood out, but there were a number of nuggets from chatting with the room including an adjustment to the offense, where Bicknell Jr. sees players fitting and much more.

It's still early in the offseason process with 13 spring practices, summer workouts and fall camp to go before Wisconsin kicks off against Buffalo in September, but offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. appears to have a solid idea of which linemen he can use as chess pieces and which he'd like to keep at their respective position.

This past season, third-year offensive lineman Trey Wedig played in nine games with seven starts. Those seven starts included snaps with the first group at left guard, right guard and right tackle. Before solidifying himself as a starter, Wedig saw the field as an extra lineman at tight end and, mostly due to injuries, he learned how to play center in fall camp. Under Bicknell Jr., he'll be asked to bring that same versatility.

Joe Huber, who transferred to Wisconsin from Cincinnati, is seen by Bicknell Jr. as someone he can use in a similar way. The former walk-on started 13 games at right tackle in 2022 for the Bearcats and projects to play right guard in Madison, but he can also be used in spot duty at "all five positions" in the case of injury.

"Trey Wedig seems to be the Swiss Army knife right now who can play left tackle, right tackle, both guard positions, both tackle positions and he's a really good player," Bicknell Jr. said. "I consider him a starter and we've got other guys that are pushing to get to that level where we can throw them in the game and not have to worry about it."

Fourth-year player Jack Nelson is on the other end of the spectrum. After starting 12 games this past season at left tackle, Bicknell envisions keeping him staying on the quarterback's blindside.

"Jack Nelson, he's probably going to play left tackle. He's sort of settled in there and Trey would be the guy to move," Bicknell Jr. said. "But really even with Jack, I'd want to feel there was no problem moving to right tackle. Joe Huber is going to be a guy like that. He can play all five positions, I really believe that."

There will be a learning curve for everyone on the offensive side of the ball, and the linemen will be no different. Players noted the biggest shift is the uptick in tempo and getting more plays in and at a quicker pace. It's still early so the offense isn't completely ramped up yet, but the line has done well to this point.

"I think they can get adjusted to it pretty quickly," Bicknell Jr. said. "It takes a little while to get into that kind of shape and I think once we get into scrimmages and things, they might feel that a little more.

"Right now they're going four and then they are out. When we get into a 10-play drive or something, I think they'll be feeling it, but that's part of the real advantage is now you're going to get the defensive line tired. We're trying to get the d-line to move all around the field and get tired, so by the end of the drive they can't get any pass rush or anything. They've bought in and they're doing a great job."

The other major adjustment for the line up front will be to polish up their pass blocking technique. As Bicknell Jr. put it, the group is more used to run blocking right now.

"For my guys it's the same thing," he said. "We have to double team when we're running power, running counter, so I've noticed that they seem to be very well versed in that and maybe not so much in some of the base, drop-back passes.

"Just the run blocking and their technique, I think they are way further along than other places I've been."

With a number of moments now standing out from 2022 in hindsight as times that signaled a tumultuous season, the break between the third and fourth quarter against Washington State in Week 2 comes to mind. Captain Keeanu Benton walked up to a group of linemen and the offensive huddle as a whole in an attempt to spark some life into the unit. In his mind, the team had given up and looked lifeless while down three.

Nelson, who was in his second year as the starting left tackle, didn't disagree with Benton. He felt the message to the group was needed and was notably upset that the team needed a fire lit under them.

It's fair to say he doesn't envision that will be an issue now.

"I don't dwell on it but I certainly remember it," Nelson said. "I certainly remember what that season felt like, I certainly remember what each that we lost felt like and each game that we won felt like. I never like losing but to me, my second year and really coming into a leadership role on the team that season really did kill me and it was the worst feeling in the world.

"I kind of hold that with me and with this new era and just the whole new identity and this intensity that's been brought forth. The bottom line is that when you walk into this building, you better be ready to go, that really does comfort me and the season that's to come. The bottom line is I'm not going to do that again. I can't lose games like that again. Just as a person, as a team, as a leader, I just can't go through that again."

With a veteran group that added a pair of former starters through the transfer portal, it will hope to return to dominance up front after giving up 78 pressures in 2022.

"I think going in with this mindset of attacking every day. We are hungry for success, every single one of us," sixth-year player Michael Furtney said. "We just need to play cleaner football."

Though he's just getting to know the program and guys, transfer center Jake Renfro sees the same mindset from the line.

"Even Day 1, they bought in. I think they've seen how great of a coach Coach Fickell is and every one bought in immediately because they know what team they can be and what team we are going to be this year. I's been really fun to be a part of it and just see the transition of everybody in the weight room and on the field. I know we're only one practice in but it's been fun to see these work and compete and it's only going to get better from here."

In his fourth year in college football and likely slotting in as the starting center in 2023, Renfro will have to be a leader along the line and offense as a whole. But it isn't often a transfer player comes in and has returning players asking him questions.

With multiple staff members making the move from Cincinnati to Madison along with Renfro, that was exactly the case.

"Pretty much everyone on the team," Renfro said of which guys asked him for what to expect from the staff. "I was kind of the guy everyone came up to pre-workout or pre-practice and they was always ask me what to expect, what do they want to see, what is practice going to be like, what is lifting going to be like? I would just tell them the truth. It might have still been hard for them but they knew what to expect going into it. The whole team has been asking me to expect every day."

This time last year, second-year wide receiver Skyler Bell was consistently brought up by players and coaches as someone who stepped it up during prep for the Las Vegas Bowl and during offseason work. He turned the 14 snaps he saw in the bowl game, his lone playing time of 2021, into 30 catches, 444 yards and five touchdowns in 2022.

Third-year player Riley Mahlman, who started six games at right tackle this past season, sees last year's bowl prep as a potential spring board for Joe Brunner and Nolan Rucci.

"I think (guys are) a lot more comfortable," Mahlman said. "Guys like Brunner, guys like Rucci, they are definitely stepping up. Brunner didn't play a whole lot last year but he definitely stepped up in the bowl game for whatever the one or two drives he was in, which I was really excited about, really happy for that guy. So I think that was a huge confidence boost for him going into this spring."

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