Following the conclusion of fall camp, BadgerBlitz.com will take a look at each position group and where they stand with the final phase of the offseason wrapping up.

We'll wrap up our offensive previews with the offensive line, a unit expected to be better in 2024 but also one that could be an injury or two away from disaster.

Interior O-Line: When Wisconsin conceptualized its offensive line for the 2024 season, it's safe to say that the returning tackle combination of Jack Nelson and Riley Mahlman were the anchors; two grizzled veterans the Badgers could count on to hold down the edges. Those two are essentially a known commodity.

Wisconsin must improve in all areas in the offensive trenches from 2023, but the play of the interior linemen is a glaring one. Throughout spring and fall camp, this unit has given legitimate hope that they can improve exponentially in that area.

Again, this is part of a storyline that ran through the spring and carried over into fall camp, but a healthy Jake Renfro at center is a massive piece to the puzzle. Snap issues shouldn't present themselves like they did a season ago for Tanor Bortolini, as Renfro is a natural center. What's more, he's proven to be extremely effective in both pass protection and run blocking when at his best.

The emergence of Joe Brunner is a story that may be flying under the radar, but the redshirt sophomore has done nothing but impress since given the keys to the left guard spot this spring. Brunner is highly physical with a nasty streak, and may have the most personality of any Wisconsin offensive linemen already.

"Whether its the pre-practice stuff, the walk-through, the (individual drills). Whatever it is, he's dialed in right now," Blazek said of Brunner this fall. "His energy and effort, he runs hot now. He's a dragster, he ain't a long-distance racer. He's dialed in pretty good right now at an even keel."

Depth: This is an easy one. While the top of Wisconsin's offensive line looks like it could be one of the better units in the conference, the immediate depth behind the starting five is rather alarming.

Let's put it this way: the two-deep is slated to feature at least two true freshmen, one of whom (Kevin Heywood) arrived on campus in the summer. The other three players on the projected second-team offensive line have played a combined 66 career snaps. If that doesn't keep you up at night, nothing will.

That depth was further hindered by the lone scholarship offensive lineman the Badgers brought in via the spring portal, Leyton Nelson from Vanderbilt, sustaining what's expected to be a season-ending injury.

"He just gave us a lot of freedom to move some guys around," offensive line coach AJ Blazek said of Nelson very matter-of-factly. "That's our goal, to figure out who the seven or eight are as we get into these next two weeks."

What's the contingency plan? With how susceptible this room appears to be to a catastrophic injury, it begs the question of what's plan B? How could Wisconsin shuffle its offensive front in the wake of a significant injury to one of its starters?

In the projected two-deep, JP Benzschawel is the only player with any kind of experience. The Badgers have to be most confident in his ability to slide in should one of the starters go down; he could feasibly play guard or tackle.

If Renfro gets hurt, that's where things get interesting. Does Wisconsin move Joe Huber to center and slide Benzschawel into the right guard spot? How does Kerry Kodanko fit into the equation on the interior, and does the staff trust him at center? Is there a situation in which a true freshman would be thrown into the fire? While the starting unit is essentially set in stone, hypotheticals abound in the event of even one serious injury in this room.

Wisconsin has stacked consecutive elite classes in the offensive trenches. The 2024 cycle featured five recruits, two of whom are four-star prospects. At the 2025 class currently stands, it's a carbon copy.

There's certainly a youth movement at offensive line in Madison, and with the lack of depth heading into this season, we're seeing some of the 2024 players thrust into the two-deep. But overall, the Badgers have been on a heater recruiting linemen, and much of that can be attributed to the relationship-building acumen of Blazek.

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