Wisconsin Football Must Ace the Badgers Next OL Coaching Hire

Stop me if you’ve heard this before … the Wisconsin Badgers football program is back on the market for an offensive line coach. 

Wisconsin’s coaching staff shake-up continued on Saturday with the ‘reassignment’ of Jack Bicknell Jr., who served as the Badgers offensive line coach for just one season. 

ESPN college football writer Pete Thamel was the first to report Bicknell’s reassignment by the Badgers, which has since been confirmed. 

Source: Wisconsin is seeking a new offensive line coach. The school re-assigned Jack Bicknell Jr recently.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 6, 2024

Under Bicknell, Wisconsin football finished 60th in the country in rushing yards, which ranked fifth in the Big Ten. The offensive line was also sixth in the conference regarding sacks allowed. Pro Football Focus graded his OL No. 25 in the country in pass-pro and No. 31 as a run-blocking unit. 

With its next hire, O-line U will have employed four offensive line coaches in as many seasons to lead their room, making this next choice crucial to the success of the Wisconsin Badgers offense. 

What Does This Change Mean for Wisconsin Football?

Historically, the Wisconsin football team’s strength has centered around its offensive line performance. However, their collective performance as a unit has declined in the past few seasons. 

The lack of development taking place has been noteworthy. Although Wisconsin has had an offensive lineman drafted in five straight seasons (and counting?), the Badgers haven’t produced a first-round pick on the O-line since Ryan Ramczyk in 2017. 

Last season, the Badgers faced challenges adjusting to a new offensive scheme and the assignments that came with a significantly altered system. Despite maintaining a consistent starting five throughout the regular season, the line’s performance waned within the up-tempo Air Raid offense and looked well below the Wisconsin standard. 

Luke Fickell’s decision aims to reinvigorate a talented but underperforming group. Regardless, the coaching transition will require Wisconsin football players to adapt once again to a new voice and their philosophies. Hopefully, a coach focusing more on fundamentals and techniques will pay dividends on the field. 

Did a little digging and came up with a list of candidates. Got a mix of Fickell, Ohio State, Air Raid, and Wisconsin guys… pic.twitter.com/wQZt3way2D

— The Dairy Raid 🏴‍☠️ (@thedairyraid) January 7, 2024

It’s imperative that Wisconsin aces its next offensive line coaching hire. Despite it spanning two coaching staffs, having four different offensive line coaches in as many years is less than ideal and, in some ways, has been detrimental to the development of this group. 

The Wisconsin Badgers need some stability.

What’s the Wisconsin Badgers OL Looking Like for the Upcoming Season?

Wisconsin football will see the return of three consistent starters from last season: left tackle Jack Nelson, left guard Joe Huber, and right tackle Riley Mahlman, all of whom graded somewhere between above average and high quality, per PFF. That’s a good starting point for some continuity. 

Center Jake Renfro, who replaced Tanor Bortolini in the ReliaQuest Bowl, could become a regular starter after a prolonged injury hiatus. He showed some impressive things during the bowl game, and his ability to snap from the shotgun, from my point of view, helped the time of the offense. 

Huber might shift to right guard if Joe Brunner, a highly regarded four-star prospect from the 2022 class, is ready to assume the left guard position. His high school tape and also comments from his teammates suggest that Brunner could provide some tenacity and run-blocking ability. 

However, the team faced significant losses in the offseason, with three scholarship offensive linemen departing for the transfer portal: center Dylan Barrett, right tackle Trey Wedig, and left tackle Nolan Rucci. Each of those players spent time in the two-deep at key spots. 

Rucci, a five-star talent in the 2021 class, committed to Penn State, while Wedig, a four-star player from the 2020 class who rotated in at guard this past season, committed to Indiana. Barett is now at Iowa State. 

These departures could pave the way for younger talents such as JP Benzschawel, Barrett Nelson, James Durand, and a few of the five incoming freshmen to step up and claim vital roles along the Wisconsin football team’s offensive line. 

There is still plenty of talent within the Wisconsin Badgers offensive line room, but people only talk about talent when it has yet to result in production. Let’s hope the next offensive line coach gets things back on track. 

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