Wisconsin’s rebuilt offensive line is getting tested right away, and the first game of the season already comes with a couple of moving parts.
The biggest update is on the right side. Pete Thamel reported that Wisconsin starting right tackle Kevin Heywood, who has been dealing with a lower-body injury, is expected to play against No.
4 Notre Dame on Sunday. Right guard Emerson Mandell, meanwhile, is not expected to play because of a foot injury.
That means Wisconsin will have to lean on its depth immediately against a Notre Dame defensive front that looks like the toughest challenge on the schedule. Heywood’s availability is a major relief, especially after a week in which his status was uncertain. Even so, he didn’t get much practice work, so the question now is how much he can handle once the game starts.
If Heywood needs a breather or can’t finish the full workload, Wisconsin’s next option at tackle is Lucas Simmons-Johansson. The former 4-star player transferred to Wisconsin this offseason from Florida State.
Mandell’s absence pushes the Badgers toward Stylz Blackmon or Black Cherry at guard. Both have taken first-team reps leading into this matchup, and Blackmon is the presumed starter. The encouraging sign for Wisconsin is that the guard spots appear deeper than tackle, even if the line overall is being forced into a quick stress test.
Mandell is trending in the right direction, according to the reports, and it sounds like he simply needed one more week to recover from the foot injury. For Wisconsin, though, the timing still matters. The Badgers are opening the season by asking a rebuilt line to stand up to one of the best fronts it will see all year.
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Wisconsin Just Got An O-Line Reality Check Before Notre Dame
Wisconsins offensive line is already dealing with an early test before the season even kicks off, with starting right guard Emerson Mandell expected to miss the opener because of a foot injury. The good news for the Badgers is that starting right tackle Kevin Heywood is expected to play despite a lower-body injury, leaving the front five close to intact as the team prepares for a difficult start to the schedule.
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There is plenty of curiosity around how that new-look group will come together, especially with quarterback Colton Joseph now in the mix. A season opener of this magnitude does more than draw attention nationally on NBC - it also puts Wisconsin under a spotlight usually reserved for November pressure games, and the way the Badgers handle it could say a lot about how far they have come since last fall. [Read more 🡒]