Wisconsin’s offensive line has already spent most of the fall in survival mode, and now the Badgers may be staring down their toughest adjustment yet.
First-year line coach Eric Mateos has been forced to keep reshuffling the group almost every week as injuries and uneven play have changed the picture up front. Kevin Heywood, Emerson Mandell and Austin Kawecki have all dealt with injuries at some point this season, while Ole Miss transfer PJ Wilkins has already played three different positions before being moved out of the starting five. In all, six players have logged significant snaps at multiple spots along the line.
That kind of constant movement is hard on any front five, no matter how talented it is. Wisconsin’s latest injury report, the first of three before Week 10 against Rutgers, only adds to the problem.
Heywood is listed as doubtful, and the outlook around his injury is not encouraging. The Badgers may have to prepare for the rest of the 2026 season without what might be their best offensive lineman.
If Heywood is unavailable, Wisconsin suddenly has a major hole to fill at left tackle. Heywood has taken 220 snaps there, while Wilkins opened the season at blindside tackle and has 230 snaps at the position. The only other player to see work there this fall is Lucas Simmons-Johansson, who has 21 reps at left tackle and hasn’t played since the Michigan State game.
Barrett Nelson would seem like the obvious next option. The fifth-year senior started at right guard against USC and has also taken some snaps at tackle. But he is doubtful for Rutgers as well and does not appear likely to go.
That leaves Mandell and Wilkins as the most realistic tackle options. Wisconsin could move Mandell to the left side and ask Wilkins to handle right tackle, or it could lean on a lesser-used player such as Simmons-Johansson or even Payton Lange, who has three snaps at right tackle.
Heywood had been one of the steady pieces keeping this line afloat, alongside Colin Cubberly, Mandell and, to a degree, Stylz Blackmon. Replacing him is no small task, and the Badgers have to do it in a way that avoids turning a bad situation into a disaster.
If Heywood and Nelson are both out against the Scarlet Knights, the alignment that makes the most sense right now would be Mandell at left tackle, Cubberly at left guard, Blackmon at center, Kawecki at right guard and Wilkins at right tackle.
Wilkins at tackle is a concern, but Wisconsin may not have a better answer. Simmons-Johansson is also in the mix, and it would not be surprising to see the Badgers rotate him with Wilkins to see who holds up better.
Even with all the upheaval, Wisconsin’s offensive line has had some bright spots. The Badgers have been strong in pass protection, giving up only 10 sacks so far, which ranks in the upper echelon nationally. The run game has been more up and down, though the line still managed to push USC around two weeks ago despite the patchwork setup.
Still, this feels like the biggest test Mateos has faced yet. With Heywood likely out, the challenge is no longer about patching things together.
It’s about finding a combination that can actually hold. How the group answers will say plenty.
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