Wisconsin football redshirt freshman emerging in right guard competition
Wisconsin’s right guard job remains up for grabs as Emerson Mandell and Kerry Kodanko push for a starting spot on the Badgers' offensive line in fall camp.
Fall camp is rarely short on position battles, but the one at right guard could have as much impact on the Wisconsin football team's offense as any. What started as an open competition in the spring practice has carried over into fall camp, with redshirt freshman Emerson Mandell and veteran Kerry Kodanko emerging as the clear frontrunners.
Kodanko’s experience in the program makes him a solid option, while Mandell brings the kind of upside that gets a coaching staff’s attention.
From Irondale High School in Minnesota, the 6-foot-5, 318-pound Mandell arrived in Madison as a consensus four-star prospect, rated as the No. 191 player nationally, the No. 9 interior offensive lineman, and the No. 2 player in the state of Minnesota, according to the 247Sports composite.
After a year of acclimating to the program, Mandell appeared in two games last season, against Purdue and Rutgers, logging 15 snaps at right tackle. According to Pro Football Focus, Mandell earned an 80.8 offensive grade and a 78.0 mark as a run blocker, albeit a small sample size.
High school football didn’t require him to do a lot of pass protection, but that’s been an area of noticeable growth since his arrival. There was never any question about his ability to move bodies in the run game. Now, Mandell is starting to look like a player capable of seizing this opportunity.
Wisconsin offensive line coach AJ Blazek expressed to the media that Mandell has made his presence felt early in fall camp.
"Emerson’s had most of them [first team reps]," Blazek told reporters. "I think he had the first couple of days. We moved JP [Benzschawel] in. We’ve moved all those guys through a little bit to get a picture, and we’re moving them around a little bit here the first week or two to see who works well together, who guys trust and feel comfortable next to, and then who can produce. At the end of the day, it’s production.
"He’s physical, he’s strong, and we just have to make sure he keeps fitting in that moment. He’s doing a hell of a job."
The left tackle job also remains unsettled, though Joe Brunner, Jake Renfro, and Riley Mahlman are locked-in starters. Only Renfro and Mahlman know exactly where they’ll line up. Central Michigan transfer Davis Heinzen looks like the top candidate to step into the vacated left tackle role that opened up when Kevin Heywood suffered a torn ACL.
If Heinzen can step in as a spring portal addition and deliver replacement-level play at left tackle, that would be a significant win for Wisconsin. It would go a long way toward stabilizing an offensive line that lacks proven tackle depth and help keep the unit on track with the staff’s original vision. Expecting him to be a game-changer right away might not be fair, but getting reliable play? That’d be a big win. And Blazek thinks he's shown signs of having physical traits that can translate on the field.
"He’s got some athleticism. He might not be quite as long as some of the tackles that have been here in the past," Blazek shared, "but he’s got the feet, the movement, and the athletic ability. Now it’s settling in with the guys. He’s really smart, picked it all up. When we’re looking at a guy like that, he’s got to come from an offense where they’ve asked him to think about a lot, and he does a really good job at that. He’s just fit. Now it’s the meshing with the guys, and it’s timing, contact, and combos."
That said, the staff still needs to sort out which combinations fit best together, and, ultimately, who they can depend on to move the needle in Jeff Grimes' run-heavy system. But the early returns from Wisconsin’s 2024 recruiting class are encouraging. A lot of time and resources were poured into that group, and to see Heywood (prior to injury) at left tackle, and Mandell, a former blue-chip prospect, emerging at right guard, plus guys like Colin Cubberly and Ryan Cory finding spots on the second team offense, that’s a sign of real development starting to take place.
It reflects well on the coaching staff’s ability to not just recruit Big Ten-caliber talent up front, but also to get them ready in the weight room. If the Badgers are going to return to the standard of offensive line play that defined the program for decades, it’s going to be built on high school recruiting and player retention, not portal bidding wars. That’s not the world Wisconsin wants to live in. That’s why seeing someone like Mandell step up and flash what he could become is such a positive development.
Coach Blazek made it clear they’re not locked into a deadline for naming potential starters. Still, the urgency is growing, and the top candidates are beginning to separate themselves in their respective competitions.
"We haven’t said there has to be a hard date, but sooner than later," Blazek said. "We want to get this ironed out, and we’re working in that direction right now. We’re also making sure we know: if this guy goes down, who’s next? How do we rotate it? You get that Rubik’s cube figured out, and I think we’re in a pretty good direction right now."
Guys like Mandell and Heinzen look poised for major roles if fall camp reps have been any indication, while Renfro, Mahlman, and Brunner will anchor the unit. If injuries hit or a rotation becomes necessary, names like Kodanko and Benzschawel could be part of the next wave. Still, that “pair and a spare” concept Blazek referenced might not be locked in just yet.
Wisconsin has until its season opener against Miami (Ohio) on August 28 to sort that out, but they have some options they feel good about.
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When will see an early depth chart?