Wisconsin is known as an offensive line factory, and that factory has been working overtime leading up to the Badgers’ opening game against Alabama.
Injuries have been a big issue for this unit, and it has forced a ton of shuffling up front. Wisconsin returned only two starters from last season, redshirt senior left tackle Tyler Marz and redshirt junior center Dan Voltz and the other three starters continue to be somewhat of a mystery.
“I think we’ve got three guys that really made it through camp pretty healthy in Tyler [Marz], Dan [Voltz] and Michael Dieter,” offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Joe Rudolph said. “ [redshirt junior guard] Walker [Williams] made it through a lot of camp. I like what he was doing in camp so it’s great to have him back .... [redshirt sophomore tackle] Hayden [Biegel], it was good to have back. We lost him early in camp. I think [redshirt freshman guard] Micah Kapoi was a real surprise of camp and really competed his tail off.”
On the depth chart the Badgers released ahead of the season opener, Williams was listed as the starter at right guard, Biegel the starter at right tackle and Kapoi as the second string right guard and center, but Rudolph emphasized that the right side of the line is not settled.
“Out of those three [Williams, Biegel, and Kapoi], there will be two of them in, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you saw all three of them play,” Rudolph clarified.
Whoever ends up starting and playing on the right side of the line will have a very difficult task in front of them, taking on an Alabama front seven that is one of the strongest in the country. The Crimson Tide brought back almost their entire defensive line as well as a number of linebackers, and it is a group up front that tends to dictate the flow of the game for opposing offenses.
“It’s tough,” Dan Voltz said. “They’re a very sound defense. They don’t make a lot of mistakes, and they have really good personnel. That’s going to fall on our laps, you know, watching film and taking practice very seriously. We have to make the most of it and be prepared come Saturday.”
The offensive linemen have had a lot of time for preparation, but with guys moving in and out of the lineup on the right side, it has been difficult to build continuity and chemistry. This is something that Alabama’s defense is going to attack, testing the communication between whoever lines up at right guard and right tackle with different stunts, blitzes and twists to try to force mistakes.
It has been up to the rest of the offensive linemen to help their teammates work through it and get these younger guys to step up against an opponent like the Crimson Tide. The Badgers are relying on their leaders along the line to get the unit up to speed.
“I think trying to keep them calm, even though it is a big game, is helpful,” redshirt senior left tackle Tyler Marz said. “I make sure that I’m with them in the books and in the film room, making sure that I’m answering any questions that they might have because obviously, I’ve been through a couple of big games like this.”
Wisconsin likely won’t reveal who ends up starting on the line until we see them line up on the field Saturday. It will be the first career starts for the two who take the field on the right side, regardless of the combination of Biegel, Kapoi and Williams.
Last year’s starters are gone, and it’s time for the offensive line factory to churn out another set of quality blockers. They have a very tough task ahead of them, but as we have seen so many times before, the Badgers seem to find a way to keep them coming.
Kickoff is Saturday at 7:00 p.m. at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
