Wisconsin’s offensive line took another hit this week, and this one landed hard. Kevin Heywood is done for the season after tearing his ACL, according to a confirmation from the Wisconsin athletic department.
The news had been building for days around the Badgers. Heywood was first listed as doubtful on the week’s initial injury report, which set off speculation that he had suffered another ACL tear.
Luke Fickell never confirmed anything publicly and declined to address it, but during the Rutgers game, Big Ten Network announcers brought it up while discussing Wisconsin’s offensive line. John Steppe of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel then checked with the athletic department and got the confirmation.
It is still not known whether the injury is to Heywood’s left leg or his right. That detail matters because Heywood missed all of last season with a torn ACL in his left knee.
He suffered that injury during spring practice on April 10, 2025, underwent surgery, and did not return to the Badgers until Spring of 2026. He had become a key piece up front.
Now Wisconsin has to keep piecing things together without its starting left tackle. The Badgers are already thin on the offensive line and are leaning deeper into the reserves.
A team spokesman confirmed the season-ending news on November 7, 2026, and Wisconsin spent the Rutgers game sorting through replacement options. PJ Wilkins opened at left tackle, then Lucas Simmons-Johansson got a shot midway through the first half. The line kept shifting from there, with Blake Cherry taking over for Colin Cubberly at left guard.
The juggling act has been made worse by more injuries. Austin Kawecki broke his snapping hand and cannot play center.
Wisconsin gave him a club for the hand and moved him to guard, but that is far from ideal. That forced Stylz Blackmon to center and moved him off guard, while Cubberly had been helping there too.
Barrett Nelson also stepped in, but he was unavailable against Rutgers, adding yet another layer to the shuffle for offensive line coach Eric Mateos.
Without Heywood, Wisconsin may be looking at an open competition between Wilkins and Simmons. Another possibility is sliding Emerson Mandell over to left tackle, since he is the top lineman left. However the Badgers handle it, the loss leaves them scrambling for answers on a line that is already stretched thin.
In Other News...
Wisconsins 2-0 Start Comes With One Early Concern
Wisconsins 73-64 win over Delaware gave the Badgers a 2-0 start, and for most of the final seven minutes they looked in control enough to keep the Blue Hens at arms length. It was another sign that this group can defend, stay organized and find enough scoring to put a game away, even while the roster continues to take shape early in the season.
Still, the first two games have also shown where the polish is missing. The Badgers are still settling into a new mix of players, and there were reminders against Delaware that the offense can be more aggressive and the bench can give more. Owen Foxwell, Eian Elmer, Jack Janicki and Jackson Ball all had their moments, but Wisconsin is still searching for the kind of consistent depth that will matter once the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Greg Gard Sees One Growing Wisconsin Concern Before Big Ten Play
The early-season offense has not looked quite as smooth as Greg Gard would like, and the Wisconsin coach pointed to a few familiar trouble spots after the loss of top scorers Nick Boyd and John Blackwell. Against Delaware, Gard said the Badgers were off on ball screen timing, had trouble finishing through contact and did not get enough production from the bench, all of which added up to a night where the attack never fully settled in.
Gard still sounded confident the rhythm will come, but the timing of the slump makes it worth watching with Big Ten play approaching. Wisconsin has enough structure to expect cleaner possessions as the schedule stiffens, yet the Badgers also know they need more reliable scoring support beyond the top end if they want the offense to hold up when the games start to matter more. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Is Winning With Defense While One Problem Still Lingers
Wisconsins second win of the season came with a familiar look in one area and a much better one in another. The Badgers beat Delaware 73-64 and, after a shakier opener, showed the kind of team defense that can keep them in games while the offense sorts itself out. Jack Janicki, Braeden Carrington, Owen Foxwell and Victory Onuetu all had a hand in that effort, giving Wisconsin the kind of collective lift it needed on both ends.
The lingering issue is still on the front line, where injuries to some forwards have slowed the Badgers offensive rhythm and limited what they can do inside. Even with the defense trending up, Wisconsin is still working through those absences and the ripple effect they have on scoring balance. For now, the formula is clear enough: defend well, find enough production from the rotation, and keep waiting for the roster to get closer to full strength. [Read more 🡒]