At a school like Wisconsin, the offensive line is the heart and soul of the entire program. Football games are won and lost in the trenches, dating back to the Barry Alvarez era – a strategy that hasn’t been deviated from since.
Things could look slightly different along the offensive line next season as the Badgers gear up for fall camp. After several years working with the inside linebackers, Bob Bostad has returned to his rightful place as the Badgers’ offensive line coach.
According to PFF, Wisconsin’s O-line ranked No. 3 in the country as a run-blocking unit (88.6). However, their pass-blocking ranked No. 98 (55.5) out of 130 division one programs in 2021.
Coach Bostad is a no-nonsense coach that expects perfection. The program desperately needs the offensive line play to return to the Wisconsin standard, and he’s precisely what the Badgers need to iron things out.
Wisconsin saw two significant departures this offseason in starting RT Logan Bruss and LG Josh Seltzner, both of whom are now in the NFL. Thankfully for Paul Chryst and company, they’re talent-rich along the offensive line. At the moment, Wisconsin has eight scholarship offensive linemen rated as four or five-star prospects coming out of high school.
Coach Bostad differs in philosophy from former offensive line coach Joe Rudolph. Instead of cross-training, he likes to find a specific position for his players to specialize in where they can work to master their craft.
Here’s a full breakdown with an analysis of every position along the offensive line as Coach Chryst and Bostad work to find the best starting five for week one: