Badgers Facing Pressing Depth Issues on the Offensive Line

Wisconsin's offensive line lacking depth after a flurry of transfers.

For the first time in quite a while, the Wisconsin Badgers football team is facing some notable depth concerns along the offensive line.

The Badgers experienced significant turnover in their offensive line room this offseason, losing five scholarship linemen for various reasons, such as expiring eligibility, declaring for the NFL Draft, or transferring out of the program.

Starters like Tanor Bortolini and Michael Furtney, along with depth pieces Trey Wedig, Nolan Rucci, and Dylan Barrett, all departed, leaving Wisconsin football—and position coach AJ Blazek—with some substantial gaps to fill in the two-deep.

While the Badgers' staff signed five true freshmen linemen in the 2024 class as replacements, headlined by Kevin Heywood, only two are on campus this spring, causing serious depth issues to iron out during practice.

"We're making sure we build the depth there because we lost quite a bit with some of those guys that left and transferred," Fickell told reporters. "They were guys that were going to compete to play and to start, but also to give you that bunch of depth up there to allow you to play a bunch of guys. So we're going to have to continue to build that back."