Wisconsin football fall camp preview: Offensive tackles

The players to watch, storylines to follow, and the biggest questions for the Wisconsin Badgers at offensive tackle entering the 2022 season.

Author:
Matt Belz
Publish date:
Jul 18, 2022 12:47 PM EDT

In this story:

Wisconsin Badgers

It is mid-July, which means we are just weeks away from Big Ten Media Days and the beginning of fall camp for the Wisconsin Badgers football team.

The Badgers enter the 2022 season looking to improve upon their 9-4 record from a year ago and aim to get back to the Big Ten Championship Game after missing out on a Big Ten West title in 2021.

After a busy off-season filled with coaching changes, recruiting news, and transfer additions, football is nearly back. With that in mind, it is time to preview each position group leading up to the start of fall camp.

Other position previews:

After previewing the interior offensive line a couple of days ago, we now take a deeper look at the offensive tackles entering fall camp.

Roster breakdown

Coaches:

Bob Bostad (offensive line coach)

Returning players:

Logan Brown (RS JR) 6-foot-6, 310 lbs.
Jack Nelson (RS SO) 6-foot-7, 303 lbs.
Trey Wedig (RS SO) 6-foot-7, 310 lbs.
Nolan Rucci (RS FR) 6-foot-8, 292 lbs.
Riley Mahlman (RS FR) 6-foot-8, 312 lbs.

Newcomers:

Joe Brunner (FR) 6-foot-6, 295 lbs.
Barrett Nelson (FR) 6-foot-6, 277 lbs.

Projected depth chart

Starters

LT: Jack Nelson

RT: Logan Brown

Backups

LT: Riley Mahlman

RT: Nolan Rucci or Trey Wedig

Returning career production

Logan Brown: 20 career games
Jack Nelson: 14 career games, 13 starts at right guard
Trey Wedig: 12 career games
Riley Mahlman: one career game

Position overview

With last year's starting left tackle Tyler Beach shifting inside to play left guard, Wisconsin offensive line coach Bob Bostad opted to move Jack Nelson to left tackle in the spring.

The two moves seemed to help fortify the left side of the line in the practices I saw and gives Jack Nelson a chance to start at a more natural position. Nelson started all 13 games last season at right guard as a redshirt freshman, but his supreme athletic ability should be more useful at left tackle. A former four-star prospect coming out of high school, Nelson is a budding star for the Badgers, and I think he is ready for a big season.

Behind Nelson, redshirt freshman Riley Mahlman received most of the second-team reps in the spring, and he even earned some first-team reps while Nelson was out with an injury. Mahlman is also tremendously athletic, and at 6-foot-8, he has the size to be another outstanding tackle for Wisconsin. Entering the fall camp, I think Mahlman is firmly the No. 2 left tackle behind Nelson, but I believe there is a chance that Mahlman could receive opportunities at right tackle to compete for the starting spot there. The former four-star out of Minnesota plays with a mean streak like Nelson, and I think he could push for playing time if he can prove to be consistent as a pass blocker.

On the other end of the line, Logan Brown saw most of the snaps with the first team at right tackle. The former five-star recruit has battled multiple injuries during his first three years with the Badgers, but he is in a better place heading into year four.

In the spring, Brown was still working through a shoulder injury, and his play was uneven at times as a result. The Michigan native has a ton of potential though, and he has the footwork to be a very good player if healthy. Bob Bostad gave him every opportunity to get accustomed to the right side of the line and improve with the first-team group. I would expect that to continue in the early part of fall camp, but that does not mean that Brown will not have competition for the starting role.

Former five-star Nolan Rucci and four-star Trey Wedig saw most of the second-team snaps in the spring, and each had their moments. The two young tackles are both candidates for the No. 2 right tackle spot, and it isn't out of the question that one of them wins the starting spot outright in fall camp either if they play well. Wedig can also play guard, and his versatility could make him an interesting option for Bob Bostad this fall. Wedig spent most of last season in the two-deep, while Rucci has yet to play in a game after redshirting last year.

Young player to watch

Wisconsin has a lot of young talent at tackle. Everyone in the position group is a former four or five-star player out of high school, which should make for a fun fall.

One player that I am excited to see in the practices open to the media will be Nolan Rucci.

The Pennsylvania native was a massive recruiting win for the Badgers in the 2021 recruiting class, and after a redshirt season, he could contend for playing time in year two. Rucci weighed in at 292 pounds this spring, so I will be closely watching where he is at weight-wise when the initial 2022 roster drops in the coming weeks. At 6-foot-8, he is a phenomenal athlete, and if was able to add some good weight over the summer, he could be a long-term answer at right tackle.

Wisconsin used Rucci as an extra tight end with the first team offense on occasion, and I would not be surprised to see him push Logan Brown for the starting role at right tackle this year. The Badgers rarely get 5-star talents like Rucci, and he has the pedigree to be an All-Big Ten type player down the road.

Whether that means he is ready for a starting spot this season is to be determined, but his potential is off the charts.

Biggest question

I believe the offensive line will be better this season. However, that does not mean that there aren't any unanswered questions.

Entering fall camp, I think that the battle for the right tackle spot will be one of the more interesting aspects to watch over the first few weeks.

With Bob Bostad back in charge, he is hoping to improve the overall play of the line, and a big part of that will be figuring out the best five.

Does he stand pat with Jack Nelson at left tackle and Logan Brown on the right side?

Can one of the young tackles such as Riley Mahlman, Nolan Rucci, or Trey Wedig overtake Brown before the opener against Illinois State?

With Riley Mahlman having more experience at left tackle, do you start him there and move Jack Nelson to right tackle?

Tyler Beach previously played right tackle, do you start him there and allow Tanor Bortolini to play left guard?

Tanor Bortolini has started games at right tackle in the past too, does he contend for that spot?

Fortunately for Wisconsin, the decision does not need to be made in July. Bostad and the Badgers will have the first three weeks of fall camp to sort things out, and that will provide an opportunity for Brown and the other potential candidates to prove it on the field.

Overall, there is a depth of talent at tackle that should make the starters earn it, and also allow for Bostad to make a change at some point in the season if needed, which is a luxury considering the struggles we saw at times last season in pass protection.

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