3 Biggest Question Marks for the Badgers Entering Fall Camp

Wisconsin still has plenty of questions to answer during fall camp.

The Wisconsin Badgers football program, looking to rebound from last year's underwhelming 7-6 finish, is set to kick off their 2024 season preparations next month at UW-Platteville with the start of fall camp.

What must Luke Fickell and the Badgers figure out between the start of camp and Week 1 at home against Western Michigan on August 30?

Here are the biggest question marks for the Badgers entering fall camp:

Does Wisconsin Have Enough Offensive Line Depth?

The departures of Trey Wedig, Nolan Rucci, and Dylan Barret to the transfer portal this offseason left a noticeable gap in the Wisconsin football team's offensive line depth, a point Coach Fickell didn't shy away from discussing throughout spring practice.

Fickell noted that both Wedig and Rucci "were going to compete to play and to start." Regardless of how those battles would have shaken out, AJ Blazek needs to get several inexperienced linemen ready to play so that the Badgers have a "pair and a spare" when the season rolls around.

Despite their depth issues, I'm still optimistic about the offensive line.

When spring practices wrapped, the first-team line was anchored by Jack Nelson at left tackle, Joe Brunner at left guard, Jake Renfro at center, Joe Huber at right guard, and Riley Mahlman at right tackle. That unit brings a wealth of experience with a combined 102 career starts and 6,763 snaps.

Outside of that group, it's clear that redshirt junior JP Benzschawel is the next man up and ready to step in at either guard position. Not to mention, Brunner showed he has the versatility to kick out to tackle if needed, and Huber's flexibility across all O-line positions is also a tremendous asset.

However, things get dicey after the top six. Coach Blazek voiced confidence in backup center Kerry Kodanko and also noted the promising development of freshman tackle Kevin Heywood. The addition of Vanderbilt transfer Leyton Nelson also helps Wisconsin's overall depth at tackle, but how viable either option is remains to be seen.

Barrett Nelson missed spring practices due to an injury but could still vie for a backup role this fall. Additionally, the rest of the 2024 freshman class, who didn't participate in spring camp, have arrived on campus this summer and are set to compete for spots on the two-deep.

While there's no shortage of talent, there's also a significant level of youth and inexperience that needs to mature quickly.

Can the Badgers Defensive Line Make an Impact?

Having depth on the defensive line and having impactful players are two very different things, and the Wisconsin Badgers, at least as I write this, don't appear to have many difference-makers in this room right now.