Wisconsin Football has a Major Depth Concern at a Key Position

The Badgers' could be in dire straits should a certain starter suffer an injury.

Wisconsin football's offensive line huddles up during fall camp. | Christian Borman.

After having taken in several days of Wisconsin football fall camp with my own eyes, I can say with absolute certainty that the Badgers are deeper and more athletic everywhere.

Wisconsin worked hard to re-tool positions that were especially exposed during the 4-8 2025 campaign, most notably quarterback, cornerback and offensive line.

Still, the offensive front has a few question marks and looks a little thin at a few spots. But don't tell that to offensive line coach Eric Mateos.

“The common theme in the offseason amongst every team in the country is o-line depth. All the fans complain about it, the writers write about it, it’s the same thing with everybody in the country," he said.

“All O-line coaches are grinding out to make number seven, number eight on the roster viable to go win football games.

It's understandable Mateos is done hearing about depth concerns on the offensive line as he has his whole career. And while the coach has a point, it's fair to be concerned about Wisconsin's center situation.

Wisconsin looks thin at a key spot

Wisconsin center Austin Kawecki. | Christian Borman.

The Badgers' starting center, Austin Kawecki, appears to be a big upgrade over what they had last fall. The seasoned fifth-year player, coming off a full year as starter at Oklahoma State, is a true plug-and-play veteran.

Behind him? Things look a little dicey.

The Badgers' second-string center is Ryan Cory. The third-year player got a chance at the position last fall, starting against Maryland. That ended horrifically, and he was immediately benched after the Terps destroyed Wisconsin at home. Cory only played 100 snaps on offense last fall and didn't get another shot.

Still, it's reasonable to expect development from a player now entering his third year of college ball.

“Ryan Cory is playing so much better than he’s ever played. His football IQ and his execution has really risen," Mateos said.

But while his coach sees improvement, certain issues still persist with the Pennsylvania native. In the three fall camp practices I watched, his snaps remained an issue. None went over the quarterback's head, like against Maryland, but they went high and low resulting in splash plays for the defense.

Wisconsin alters Cory's mechanics

Wisconsin offensive lineman Ryan Cory (50). | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Badgers' offense needs a good snapper of the football; with all of the motions and shifts offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes employs, timing is critical. That's led the Badgers' staff to try and alter Cory's snapping mechanics.

“We changed his grip because he was flicking his wrist too much," Mateos said. "If you can throw a football, you can usually snap a football, and Ryan is not a very good thrower of the football. We changed the grip, and it allows him to stay in a more locked, vertical position with his wrist attached to his ulna bone, attached to his elbow and allow it to be more of a swing than a snap."

"That’s the purpose of changing the grip. It’s not perfect, but it’s certainly a lot better than where it was in the spring.”

Mateos wasn't completely blowing smoke. Cory's snaps do look better than a year ago. But it still feels a little unnatural, and Wisconsin's staff can't be completely comfortable with him in a game setting yet.

Kawecki, the starting center, likes what he sees from his backup and praised his work ethic.

“Me and him have gotten a lot closer, just playing center. He’s worked his tail off, I think he’s been great. He knows the offense, he wants to get better every day. He’s not getting complacent at all. He’s keeping his head down," he said.

Cory will have to keep grinding. Because if something were to happen with Kawecki, the Badgers' offense could be in a real bind unless Cory tightens up his snaps.