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Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman earns national preseason honor from ESPN

The Wisconsin Badgers' reputation as an offensive line factory continues to get stronger, with left guard Joe Brunner getting some major national attention from ESPN.
Lorin Cox|
Dec 27, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman Joe Brunner (56) against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bowl at Chase Field.
Dec 27, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman Joe Brunner (56) against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bowl at Chase Field. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers' reputation as an offensive line factory continues to get stronger with this year's roster.

A few days after center Jake Renfro was named to the Rimington Award watch list, another Badgers blocker got some national attention.

Left guard Joe Brunner was named a preseason second-team All-American by ESPN on Monday.

He was behind the first-team starters of Olaivavega Ioane from Penn State and Ar'Maj Reed-Adams at Texas A&M.

Brunner took over as the starting left guard last year and had the third-highest pass blocking grade of any Big Ten guard according to PFF.

The Whitefish Bay native is now one of the leaders of the offensive line, where position coach AJ Blazek has experimented with lining him up at left tackle.

The coaching staff is likely to leave Brunner at the left guard spot where he was successful last season, and the All-American recognition will only raise the expectations for 2025.

If the redshirt junior continues on his current trajectory, he can have a future in the NFL as a big, versatile blocker who excels at keeping his quarterback clean.

If he can become even more consistent as a run blocker, Brunner can be a dominant for in the trenches for Wisconsin.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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