6 questions for Wisconsin football as fall camp begins
The Badgers practice in Platteville starting Tuesday, and there are plenty of answers needed before the Aug. 28 season-opener.
The University of Wisconsin football program may need to rely on a spring transfer to seal a crack in what was supposed to be an emerging cornerstone of its offensive line.
Sophomore left tackle Kevin Heywood suffered an ACL injury during Wisconsin’s April 10 practice, leaving an opening at a key position of protecting the blind side of graduate quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. But the Badgers reeled in a potential option in former Central Michigan lineman Davis Heinzen after spring ball ended.
“Not an ideal situation, obviously, but I'm grateful that the portal exists for that,” offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes said.
Left tackle and a potential three-man competition at right guard are the two positions on the offensive line to watch during fall camp that commences Tuesday, but the former has more urgency to fill. Heinzen, who was listed at 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds by Central Michigan, started at both left tackle and left guard for the MAC program.
“But he's done a great job learning the offense, and I would say he's a really smart kid and a quick study,” Grimes said. “There are a number of things that we're asking him to do that are different than he's done before.
“And that's where the learning curve has really got to speed up when we get to camp.”
Redshirt junior Leyton Nelson missed last season after transferring from Vanderbilt in the spring of 2024, but he received a significant amount of reps at left tackle after Heywood’s injury. Starting left guard Joe Brunner also slid out one spot to tackle during the spring.
But then there’s Heinzen, whose intelligence and strength was praised by Brunner.
“He's an athlete,” Brunner said of Heinzen. “He can move really well. Obviously, you never know until you put the pads on how they are at football, but he's a smart guy.
“Coming in, this isn't an easy offense to learn necessarily. It takes time. He's dedicated his time to learn it because he knows he's got a job at stake. He's got to come in every day. He's got to work and to prove that he's the best option at left tackle there is, and he's done it.”
Here are five more questions for Wisconsin heading into training camp Tuesday.