Wisconsin OL Logan Brown continues progress at right tackle

MADISON, WIS. -- Logan Brown recalled playing on the left side of the offensive line during his high school days and through his first three years in Madison. Now entering his fourth season, a whole new role emerges at right tackle.

One may think moving from one side of the line to the other may not necessarily require too much of a transition. But allow Tanor Bortolini to succinctly explain what is entailed with such a switch. The third-year Badger knows a thing or two about managing new responsibilities, as he has seen game action at center, both left and right guard spots and right tackle since 2020. He also took reps at left tackle at one point during fall camp last August.

“Flipping from right to left, a lot of people just think it’s pretty easy," Bortolini said on Friday. "But changing your stance, changing your footwork, it's really a tough task, especially after three years of getting really good at one spot at left tackle."

Bortolini, currently UW's first-team center with Joe Tippmann not dressing during spring practice, also gave a progress report on Brown through eight sessions.

"So watching him, obviously the first couple of days are rough. You struggle," Bortolini said. "You’re learning. ‘Hey, this is how it’s got to be.’

“It's been fun to see him grow as a player. It took him a little bit, obviously transitioning from right to left, but he's getting a lot better. You're starting to see it. It's like, 'Wow, that looked really good.' I’m excited to see what he can do in the next seven practices and heading into fall camp.”

Brown, the former four-star prospect in the 2019 class, appears to be taking it all in stride and said he is enjoying the change. He has faced particular challenges and adaptations to the role, which include strength in different areas of his body.

“For instance, I guarantee my right leg is probably a little bit bigger than my left, simply because I always have my right leg be my post," Brown said on Friday. "So simple things like that, it's just really the biggest change and trying to still be quick and efficient with your feet, because you just have so much muscle memory on one side and then you have to build on the other."

Brown has played in 19 games overall in the last two seasons, though he has not yet started a contest. He, however, received significant reps at left tackle with Jon Dietzen during the 2020 Duke's Mayo Bowl when Cole Van Lanen did not participate.

Tyler Beach (left tackle), Logan Bruss and Bortolini (right tackle) all started games on the edge of the line last year while UW listed the Michigan native at the No. 2 spot behind Beach.

Now, Beach moves inside one slot to left guard and Jack Nelson -- last year's starting right guard -- bumps out to left tackle. Coach Bob Bostad, who returns to the offensive side of the ball after five years mentoring the program's inside linebackers, noted Brown's move to the right side partially came from Nelson's transition.

Bostad also wanted Brown "in one place," according to the assistant. That philosophy extends to not just his 6-foot-6, 310-pound pupil, but all of his linemen in striving to find and keep them at their best positions.

“And that's where players, in my opinion, get better faster," Bostad said. "Kevin Zeitler played right guard here and he's still playing right guard. Now there isn't a lot of guys like that. I'm not saying that. But part of his trajectory was the fact that he learned one trade, and he learned it really, really well. To have a guard do that ... I think is pretty representative of, found a guy the home earlier, sooner than later, and he got better faster.”

One area Beach has seen Brown improve in comes from his pass blocking, calling that skill set "tremendously better." The sixth-year Badger also gave credit to Bostad's methods.

“The way coach 'Bo' is teaching a lot of this stuff, it's helping the tackles a ton dealing with edge rushes," Beach said. "Bostad is a one step at a time kind of guy. It’s like guys are figuring stuff out, and I think Brown with his pass sets has been a lot better since last year, and he's improved a ton so I'm really proud of him for that.”

Brown believes that particular area has clicked for him.

“I think it finally just came together," Brown said. "We do a vertical set now, so I feel like that just gives us an opportunity to get back, set up and just wait for a move. Gives us a little more time to play off of the defender.”

Filling out the first-team reps on the right side of the offensive line with Brown is Michael Furtney at the guard spot. The rising fifth-year senior, another Michigan native in the program, mentioned their relationship and how they know how the other thinks. That allows the duo to hold one another accountable, and he believes the two have a high ceiling.

Working alongside Brown, Furtney called out his teammate's long arms and size, but he still maintains the ability to be athletic and agile.

"I think when you even put him against some of the really good pass rushers, he can really snap out, get that good length on those guys, really shut down some of the best guys we have on our team," Furtney said. "With all that, he's still powerful where he can shut down a guy trying to bull (rush) him.

"I think when he's in that zone of doing a pass rush, I think he does really well. I think just like how when we work together in double teams, I think we're really locked in well together. He brings quite a bit of explosiveness, and something you enjoy doing things like gap combos with and things like that.”

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