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New Wisconsin Badgers offensive line coach poaches young blocker from his former school Arkansas

New Wisconsin Badgers offensive line coach Eric Mateos brought in one of his former players from Arkansas through the transfer portal.
Cam Wilhorn|
Blake Cherry, Owasso, is pictured at Gathering Place in Tulsa, Okla., on Thursday, June 13, 2024.
Blake Cherry, Owasso, is pictured at Gathering Place in Tulsa, Okla., on Thursday, June 13, 2024. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers have been busy during the first few days of the two-week transfer portal window.

New position coaches Robert Steeples (CB), Jayden Everett (RB) and Eric Mateos (OL) have been at the center of plenty of Wisconsin's signings, bolstering their respective rooms.

On Tuesday morning, Mateos struck again, this time bringing over a young offensive lineman from Arkansas, Mateos' former school.

Arkansas OL Blake Cherry commits to Wisconsin

A three-star recruit in the class of 2025, Cherry becomes the Badgers' second offensive line commit of the portal cycle.

Wisconsin previously landed a pledge from Oklahoma State center Austin Kawlecki, who could be the Badgers' Week 1 starter at the position.

Related: Wisconsin Badgers land new center from Big 12 for transfer QB Colton Joseph

While Cherry may not offer the instant impact of Kawlecki, the young guard has plenty of potential.

The 6-foot-5, 316-pound guard played just 25 offensive snaps as a true freshman, primarily at left guard. However, he appeared in all 12 games as a special teamer, meaning he'll have three years of eligibility remaining.

Cherry was considered an offensive tackle as a recruit, giving him positional versatility.

Coming out of high school, he received offers from Texas A&M, Nebraska, Minnesota, Arizona State, Kansas State, Boston College and Kansas, among others.

He drew high praise from former Razorbacks' head coach Sam Pittman during fall camp.

"That kid is a straight up dog," Pittman said.

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Depending on how the Badgers proceed in the portal, Cherry may have an opportunity to compete for a starting role in 2026.

Assuming Kawlecki opens the season at center, only three of the five OL starters have been determined.

Emerson Mandell started in all 12 games during 2025 between RG and RT, and Kevin Heywood was the preseason starting left tackle before tearing his ACL. Both are shoo-ins to the starting front.

Cherry could push for one of the two open spots, though it's unclear if that'll be a guard or a tackle position.

His competition could be fierce, with rising sophomore Colin Cubberly having started seven games at right guard in 2025 and five players entering their redshirt freshman campaigns.

Regardless of his role in 2026, Cherry figures to be a strong long-term prospect who Mateos appears to be high on.

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Cam Wilhorn
CAM WILHORN

Cam Wilhorn is a University of Wisconsin School of Journalism Graduate and Wisconsin native. He's been covering Wisconsin sports since 2023 for outlets like BadgerBlitz.com, Badger of Honor and The Badger Herald.

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