Badger Observer's 5 position groups to keenly watch during Wisconsin football fall camp
A look at a handful of position groups that we'll be keeping tabs on as fall camp commences this week.
Babe, wake up: It’s fall camp preview time.
The University of Wisconsin football program kicks off preseason practices Thursday in Madison as coach Luke Fickell enters a crucial fourth season leading the program. Badger Observer’s already reported from Chicago during Big Ten football media days from Fickell’s time with local reporters early Tuesday and on the side podium later that day, which included his thoughts on new general manager Morocco Brown.
Expect us in attendance at the team’s facilities throughout August and will provide analysis, videos and more.
Now’s the perfect time to take advantage of Badger Observer’s new deal where fans can get ALL the coverage from Big Ten football media days, fall camp, recruiting and much more for $2 a month or $20/year!
For now, let’s commence fall camp previews with the five position groups Badger Observer is focusing in on during these preseason practices.
5. Who will be Wisconsin’s starting 5 on the offensive line?
Feel pretty confident about three of the starting offensive line spots with tackles PJ Wilkins and Kevin Heywood, along with center Austin Kawecki. Florida State transfer Lucas Simmons-Johansson received some first-team reps at left tackle towards the end of spring practices in place of Wilkins, and that’s a mini-storyline to watch throughout fall camp.
But home in on the guard spots. Coach Luke Fickell praised the leadership of Heywood, Colin Cubberly and Emerson Mandell — all third-year players — last week during Big Ten football media days in Chicago. Mandell worked as first-team right guard in the spring before suffering an injury that required foot surgery. He missed a noticeable chunk of practices in April.
“We expect him to be OK,” Fickell said Tuesday. “It’ll be how comfortable is he? How much can we get him? I know that we’re going to be limited rep-wise as we start camp, so it’ll be interesting to see how far along he is after the first three weeks of camp.”
Cubberly worked in Mandell’s place at right guard for plenty of 11-on-11 series in April, and offensive line coach Eric Mateos called him “kind of like a dirtbag” (complimentary) and praised his transformation. Cubberly and two transfers, Blake Cherry (Arkansas) and Stylz Blackmon (Division II Augustana) all could be options at left guard.
The other questions to answer will be who emerges to back up Kawecki at center, and can others emerge as game-ready within the two-deep.
