Tag: aj blazek

Wisconsin offers top offensive tackle in class of 2027

Wisconsin offers top offensive tackle in class of 2027

Wisconsin football extended an offer to top-ranked class of 2027 offensive tackle Jake Hildebrand on Friday.

As a sophomore, Hildebrand is already considered a five-star recruit via 247Sports’ composite ranking. The outlet also pegs the Arizona native as the No. 24 overall recruit, No. 2 offensive tackle and No. 1 player from Arizona for the class of 2027.

On3, meanwhile, has Hildebrand as the No. 1 offensive tackle in the nation for his cohort.

The 6-foot-6, 285-pound recruit has already received a bevy of offers from some of the most prestigious programs in the nation. As of Nov. 8, that list includes Oregon, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa State and Washington.

That list will likely balloon as Hildebrand progresses through the rest of his high school tenure.

On3’s recruiting prediction machine has Arizona State and Arizona as the most likely destinations for Hildebrand, but he has ample time to receive more offers and make his collegiate decision.

Wisconsin’s storied history in producing NFL-ready offensive linemen will certainly play a role in Hildebrand’s recruitment. UW’s interest at the stage of the process could help establish some ties as the sophomore continues to hone in on his craft at tackle.

Report: Wisconsin football moving program legend to on-field coaching role

Report: Wisconsin football moving program legend to on-field coaching role

Wisconsin football is moving program legend Casey Rabach to an on-field coaching role, according to a report from BadgerExtra’s Colten Bartholomew.

Rabach had been part of the program’s recruiting department after being hired in 2022. UWBadgers.com identifies his current role as the director of scouting, a position he has held since the spring of 2023 after beginning as a personnel assistant.

Related: Reasons why Wisconsin football will or won’t make College Football Playoff in 2024

Bartholomew reports Rabach is being promoted to assistant offensive line coach and will work directly with Badgers’ new OL coach A.J. Blazek.

Rabach played for Wisconsin from 1996-2000. His decorated college career included one second-team All-Big Ten selection (1998), two first-team All-Big Ten nods (1999, 2000) and one third-team All-American honor (2000).

Rabach played 10 seasons in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Redskins after being selected in the third round of the 2001 NFL draft.

The longtime professional offensive lineman briefly worked in the Green Bay Packers’ personnel department before eventually finding his way into Wisconsin’s recruiting department. He does not have any listed coaching experience.

Luke Fickell remade his offensive line coaching staff after the position struggled to find consistency during the 2023 season. Blazek has brought a tangible energy to the room, something Badgers fans hope will translate into on-field results.

One area that has seen results has been recruiting the position. Wisconsin has commitments from top linemen Hardy Watts, Logan Powell, Nolan Davenport and Michael Roeske in the class of 2025. Blazek and his new assistant, Rabach, should be credited with the majority of those recruiting wins.

Wisconsin’s offensive line will look to improve upon its play from the last 4-5 years when the team kicks its 2024 season off at home against Western Michigan. The addition of Rabach to the coaching staff will be an interesting storyline to follow as the season moves along.

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Wisconsin offers three-star offensive lineman from Michigan

Wisconsin offers three-star offensive lineman from Michigan

The Wisconsin Badgers football team offered N’Kye Wynn, a three-star interior offensive lineman from Muskegon, Michigan, on Tuesday. The 6-foot-5, 277-pound athlete is a junior in high school and still has one more year before making the jump to the collegiate level.

Wynn has now picked up 25 Division 1 offers, including from Michigan State, Rutgers, Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Wolverines have yet to offer from within his home state, but Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan and Central Michigan have also joined the Spartans in extending scholarships to the offensive lineman.

Wisconsin is entering its first season with new offensive line coach AJ Blazek, who ultimately offered Wynn, looking to reestablish the program’s identity as an elite producer of talent on the offensive line.

So far in class of 2025, the Badgers have received commitments from three-star offensive tackles Michael Roeske (Wautoma, WI) and Cam Clark (Dexter, MI) on the offensive line.

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Wisconsin class of 2025 OL target to announce commitment Wednesday

Wisconsin class of 2025 OL target to announce commitment Wednesday

Three-star class of 2025 offensive lineman Jack Shaffer will announce his collegiate commitment at 2:30 p.m. central, 3:30 p.m. eastern on Wednesday, April 24.

The Bismarck, North Dakota native is down to five schools after receiving offers from six programs. Wisconsin, which extended an offer to Shaffer on April 12, is a finalist alongside Iowa State, North Dakota State, Duke and Kansas State.

247Sports ranks the three-star as the No. 64 offensive tackle in the class of 2025 and No. 2 overall recruit from North Dakota. At 6-foot-6, 315 pounds, Shaffer was an All-State selection following his junior campaign at Bismarck High School. 

The talented offensive lineman is a multi-sport athlete as well. He is an accomplished track and field athlete and also posted multiple double-doubles throughout his junior season on the basketball court.

His offers first arrived in August of 2023, before his recruitment cooled off until January 2024 when North Dakota, Duke, Kansas State, Iowa State and Wisconsin all officially reached out towards the beginning of the calendar year.

Shaffer unofficially visited UW on April 12 and received an offer thereafter. 247Sports does have a crystal ball for the offensive lineman to choose Iowa State.

 

With versatility in multiple sports, Shaffer would be a solid fit for a program with a history of developing its lineman into NFL staples. Swift footwork and agility in basketball certainly translates to the line, and Shaffer possesses it. 

New Wisconsin assistant coach considered best hire in nation

New Badgers assistant coach considered best hire in nation

The self-proclaimed “Godfather of Recruiting,” Mike Farrell, ranked his top assistant coach hirings across college football this offseason and a new Badger cracked the list.

New Wisconsin assistant coach AJ Blazek was Farrell’s pick for the top offensive line coach hiring this year. Blazek joined Luke Fickell’s staff this offseason after spending time with Vanderbilt, NDSU and Rutgers among other programs.

Throughout his coaching career, he has helped send several athletes to the NFL and he’ll be tasked with reinstilling the typical production of the Badgers’ offensive line after a couple of down years.

He’ll work with a veteran offensive line that includes redshirt senior center Jake Renfro and redshirt senior tackle Jack Nelson.

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Badgers officially welcome new O-line coach

New o-line coach officially welcomed

The Badgers announced that they were hiring a new offensive line coach late last week and they made the addition official Wednesday, welcoming AJ Blazek to Madison.

Blazek spent the last three seasons as the offensive line coach at Vanderbilt, but he has Big Ten experience as well. He spent the 1999 and 2000 seasons as a member of Iowa’s football team before joining their coaching staff and he later spent the 2016-2018 seasons with Rutgers.

Wisconsin will have a new primary running back in 2024, though Chez Mellusi is the favorite and he’s been in Madison for three years, while they will also have a new quarterback under center. Blazek will look to ensure that regardless of who’s touching the ball, they have adequate protection.

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Report: Wisconsin to hire an SEC offensive line coach

Report: Wisconsin to hire an SEC offensive line coach

The Wisconsin football program is hiring Vanderbilt offensive line coach AJ Blazek, according to a report from FootballScoop.

Blazek is set to take over the job after Wisconsin reassigned OL coach Jack Bicknell after the 2023 season.

The former Vanderbilt assistant was an all-Big Ten center at Iowa in the early 2000s before coaching offensive line at Western Illinois (2013-2015), Rutgers (2015-2019), North Dakota State (2019-2021) and now Vanderbilt (2021-2023).

He takes over a position group at Wisconsin which hasn’t lived up to expectations since the 2019 season. But with starters Jack Nelson, Jake Renfro, Riley Mahlman and others returning, it’s a group with a lot of potential.

Head coach Luke Fickell needs to get this hire right. This will be Wisconsin’s fourth offensive line coach in as many seasons, an unacceptable rate given the program’s pedigree at the position.