All Badgers

Wisconsin Badgers OL coach leaned on prior relationships to land top targets in transfer portal

New Badgers offensive line coach Eric Mateos used his connections to find the right fits for Wisconsin in the transfer portal.
Lorin Cox|
Oklahoma State offensive lineman Austin Kawecki (51) was recruited to the Wisconsin Badgers in the transfer portal by new OL coach Eric Mateos
Oklahoma State offensive lineman Austin Kawecki (51) was recruited to the Wisconsin Badgers in the transfer portal by new OL coach Eric Mateos | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

In this story:

Wisconsin Badgers

The transfer portal always brings quite a bit of unknowns as the Wisconsin Badgers bring in players from other rosters, most of which they've never worked with before.

New Badgers offensive line coach Eric Mateos compared it to speed dating, but he took advantage of his past relationships and connections to make sure Wisconsin found a good match.

In an interview with the Bleav in Badgers podcast, Mateos said it was years of proactive recruiting that helped put him in a strong position to land the players they wanted in the portal.

"I’m probably never going to sign an O-lineman out of the portal that I don’t have a trusted resource providing me information (on) or have a previous relationship with the player," Mateos said. "I can't think of a single guy that I’ve ever signed in the portal that there was just total cold (call), no previous relationship, nobody I could call to give me information on them."

Sign Up For the Wisconsin Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Wisconsin Badgers Newsletter

He gave the example of new center Austin Kawecki from Oklahoma State. Any coaching staff could watch his tape as the Cowboys starter, but Mateos had an existing relationship with the rising senior that gave him more confidence in prioritizing him.

He said he started recruiting Kawecki in 2021 when he was a junior in high school. Mateos kept that relationship even as they went in different directions, making it easier to trust that Kawecki is the right fit for Wisconsin.

"If you’re wise, you’re keeping tabs on kids," Mateos said. "You’re remembering kids who you recruited, and you’re building relationships with, and you remember their talent level that they have."

Related: New Badgers OL coach bringing back old-school mentality Wisconsin fans will love

It's one thing when he's bringing one of his former offensive linemen with him from his last coaching stop at Arkansas.

It's another when he's adding others from Oklahoma State, Florida State and Ole Miss that don't all have a ton of college tape to evaluate.

Mateos is confident that the information he has on Wisconsin's offensive line recruits will make them the right fit for this program, on and off the field.

More Wisconsin Badgers News:

Published
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.

Home/Recruiting