9 takeaways from Wisconsin football's Week 1 depth chart
Here's what stands out about the Badgers' first two-deep of the season.
MADISON, Wis. — A key cog of the University of Wisconsin football team’s offensive line appears set to return to the field for the Badgers’ season opener later this week.
Wisconsin listed graduate center Jake Renfro as the first-team center on its Week 1 depth chart unveiled Monday, just days ahead of its Aug. 28 matchup against Miami (Ohio) (8 p.m. CT, Big Ten Network). Renfro missed time during fall camp after suffering a lower body injury while in Platteville, and the program initially designated him as week-to-week.
“Jake should be good,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said. “He's practiced, I think, the last five days, four or five days. So he looks good and looks healthy.
“So I feel like we're in a good place there. … I think he's probably taken most of every rep, so hopefully that everything stays on pace there, and Jake will be good to go.”
Renfro started all 12 games last season, along with the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl matchup against LSU. He returned to Wisconsin for what will be his sixth season and is among three key returners on the line alongside left guard Joe Brunner and right tackle Riley Mahlman.
“Obviously the center, anything down the middle of your offense and defense is so critical, and everybody talks about the quarterback, but it starts right there in the middle,” Fickell said. “There's a reason that Jake represented us and went with us to to Vegas, to the Big Ten media days.
“And it has a lot to do with just leadership. It has a lot to do with his ability to communicate, but also has to do with his play as well. And so having him back the last four, five, six days, I think, has been a boost. But there were some guys that stepped in there that did some really, really good things, and I think sometimes those are the tough things through camp.”
Here are eight other takeaways from Wisconsin’s depth chart release.