Tag: offensive linemen

Wisconsin 2026 iOL target includes Badgers in top four, announces commitment date

Wisconsin 2026 iOL target includes Badgers in top four, announces commitment date

Wisconsin top class of 2026 target Ben Nichols will announce his collegiate commitment on Dec. 24, per his latest post on X.

On Nov. 11, Nichols listed Wisconsin, Tennessee, Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Kentucky and Iowa as his final nine landing spots.

On Dec. 6, the four-star recruit whittled the list down to just Wisconsin, Tennessee, Notre Dame and Penn State, per 247Sports national recruiting analyst Allen Trieu.

The outlet’s composite ranking considers Nichols the No. 244 overall recruit in the class of 2025, No. 16 interior offensive lineman and No. 3 prospect from his home state of Michigan for the class of 2026.

While Wisconsin’s inclusion in Nichols’ final four landing spots is substantial, recruiting outlets project the Michigan native to land with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. On3’s recruiting prediction machine lists the college football juggernaut as his most likely landing spot at 82%, and Rivals’ Penn State analyst Richard O’Leary recently released a FutureCast projecting the Fighting Irish to secure his commitment.

UW’s current iOL room took a hit on Thursday with the loss of James Durand to the transfer portal. Both Joe Huber and Jake Renfro competed as redshirt seniors, so Wisconsin is certainly in need of some depth at the position.

Yes, Nichols is a 2026 recruit, but his talent is unquestionable. As a junior in high school, his 6-foot-5, 315-pound frame makes him one of the more alluring 2026 talents in the nation.

Wisconsin redshirt freshman offensive lineman to enter transfer portal

Wisconsin freshman offensive lineman to enter transfer portal

Wisconsin redshirt freshman offensive lineman James Durand announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Thursday.

“I am thankful for my time and growth at the University of Wisconsin,” Durand wrote on X. “That being said, I’d like to announce that I have decided to enter the transfer portal with three years of eligibility remaining.”

Durand became the second former Badger offensive lineman to enter the transfer portal in as many days, joining redshirt junior offensive lineman Manny Mullens.

He also becomes the ninth player from Luke Fickell’s class of 2023 to enter the portal this winter. Only tight end Tucker Ashcraft, defensive tackle Jamel Howard and inside linebackers Christian Alliegro and Tyler Jansey remain.

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Durand committed to the Badgers’ program on May 6, 2022 over opportunities from Colorado, Oregon State, Arizona, Utah and Iowa State. The Chandler, Arizona product was considered the No. 51 iOL and No. 12 player from Arizona for the class of 2023 as a recruit.

Durand saw the field once during his tenure in Madison in Wisconsin’s blowout win over Purdue on Oct. 5. He spend all season listed as the Badgers’ backup left guard behind Joe Brunner.

He is the 13th scholarship player to enter the portal since the Badgers’ season ended last Friday. That number appears to only be rising with each passing day.

For more on that outgoing movement bookmark our 2024 transfer portal tracker.

Wisconsin loses offensive lineman to transfer portal

Wisconsin loses offensive lineman to transfer portal

Wisconsin football walk-on offensive lineman Manny Mullens announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Wednesday.

Mullens is one of 12 Badgers to enter the portal since the team finished its 2024 season last Friday. He is one of five Badgers to enter on Wednesday alone, alongside with Braedyn Moore, Trech Kekahuna, Nate White and James Thompson Jr.

“I am so blessed to play the game of football and to be a Wisconsin Badger,” Mullens wrote on X. “God has been great and my time in Madison has been amazing. Thank you to coach [Casey Rabach] and the entire staff for all their support and belief in me. To my teammates, you guys are my brothers for life, and I’ll always cherish the memories we made together. After a lot of prayer and thought, I’ve decided to enter the transfer portal to see what’s next for me. Thank you, Wisconsin. It was an honor to wear cardinal and white and Wisconsin will forever be in my heart.”

The redshirt junior offensive lineman signed with the Badgers as a preferred walk-on in December 2022. He arrived in Madison after transferring from Division II Lake Eerie College.

Manny Mullens is also the younger brother of former Wisconsin defensive end Isaiah Mullens, who played for the program from 2018-2022. Manny did not see the field in two seasons with the program.

Mullens is also the first former Badger offensive lineman to announce his decision to enter the portal. It is one of the few positions on the roster where the program seems well-equipped to handle some departures.

For updates on Wisconsin’s full list of incoming and outgoing transfers, bookmark our 2024 transfer portal tracker.

Tennessee Titans sign former Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman

Tennessee Titans sign former Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman

The Tennessee Titans claimed former Wisconsin offensive lineman Logan Bruss off of waivers on Tuesday.

The move arrived just a day after the Los Angeles Rams elected to waive the 2022 NFL draftee before their Week 10 game vs. the Miami Dolphins.

Shortly after his acquisition, Bruss joined Tennessee’s locker room and participated in practice on Wednesday. Head coach Brian Callahan indicated that the UW alumnus will play guard for the Titans going forward.

Bruss will also wear No. 66 for Tennessee after sporting No. 60 for Los Angeles in 2024.

Bruss was selected No. 104 overall by the Rams in the 2022 NFL draft. After tearing his ACL during the 2022 preseason, he spent all of 2023 on Los Angeles’ practice squad. He then appeared in eight games for L.A. in 2024, starting three, after making the Week 1 roster.

The 6-foot-5 lineman appeared in 41 games for the Badgers from 2017-21. He earned All-Big Ten second team honors during a 2021 season in which he blocked for Badger-turned-New-York-Jet RB Braelon Allen.

Now, Bruss will get an opportunity to block for running backs Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears out of the Titans’ backfield. Tennessee plays its next game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Nov. 17.

Wisconsin football class of 2026 iOL target includes Badgers in list of finalists

Wisconsin football class of 2026 iOL target includes Badgers in list of finalists

Wisconsin top class of 2026 target Ben Nichols included the Badgers in his list of final schools on Monday.

Nichols, who received his offer from the Badgers on May 15, included Wisconsin along with Tennessee, Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Kentucky and Iowa.

At the time of his offer, On3’s industry ranking considered Nichols the No. 19 interior offensive lineman in the class of 2026, No. 4 recruit from Michigan and No. 238 overall recruit in the class. The outlet has elevated Nichols to the No. 16 iOL, No. 3 recruit from Michigan and No. 199 overall recruit in his class.

While Nichols does not hold a 247Sports crystal ball prediction at this stage of his recruitment, On3’s recruiting prediction machine lists the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as his most likely landing spot at over 84%. Michigan, Ohio State and Eastern Michigan all hold less than a 7% chance to secure a commitment.

Nichols is considered a four-star recruit from virtually every recruiting outlet. At 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, Nichols has the frame to become a devastating force on any offensive line when he makes the jump to the collegiate level.

Currently, UW’s iOL room consists of Joe Huber, Jake Renfro and James Durand.

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.

Wisconsin top class of 2026 target includes Badgers in list of finalists

Wisconsin top class of 2026 target includes Badgers in list of finalists

Wisconsin top class of 2026 target Bear McWhorter included the Badgers in his list of final schools on Tuesday.

McWhorter, who decommitted from Arkansas on June 30,  included Wisconsin along with Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Clemson, LSU, Michigan and Arkansas.

The Badgers initially offered the interior linemen when he was a three-star recruit back in March. He has since elevated to a four-star recruit on both ESPN and Rivals.

247Sports current ranks the Georgia native as the No. 398 player in the class of 2026, No. 36 interior offensive lineman and No. 41 recruit from his home state. Outside of his final nine schools, Auburn, Cincinnati, Florida, Miami-FL, Ole Miss, Penn State and Texas offered the talented 2026 prospect.

While McWhorter does not hold a 247Sports crystal ball prediction at this stage of his recruitment, On3’s recruiting prediction machine list the NC State Wolfpack as his most likely landing spot. Still, NC State holds just a 16.1% chance to secure a commitment.

McWhorter’s stock will surely rise as he plays more throughout his third year of high school football. Wisconsin may have its hands full battling some of the most prestigious recruiting programs in the nation for his commitment.

Cesar Ruiz is the NFL’s fastest offensive lineman this season

Cesar Ruiz hit 17 miles per hour on Alvin Kamara’s 57-yard TD, making him the fastest offensive lineman in the NFL this season so far:


The New Orleans Saints Week 2 victory over the Dallas Cowboys was a fun one with many stats to go over throughout the day. One of the most fun ones is actually from right guard Cesar Ruiz, who is the first offensive lineman on the season to hit 17 miles per hour or more, per NFL Next Gen Stats.

This speed came on the 57-yard touchdown reception by Alvin Kamara where he had some exceptional blocking ahead of him, and while he was running untouched on the right side of the field, Cesar Ruiz was keeping up with him essentially until the very end.

New Orleans’ offensive line has been pretty outstanding through the first two games, and seeing the effort Ruiz put into this play to continue to block for his teammate was impressive. Having that type of blocking upfield in case a safety comes over the top is a huge benefit to prevent any late hits or miscues, and just ensuring that Kamara gets into the endzone without any problems. It’s no wonder Kamara remarked that it felt more like a practice rep than a live play.

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Los Angeles Rams name former Wisconsin lineman a team captain for 2024 campaign

Los Angeles Rams name former Wisconsin icon team captain for 2024 campaign

The Los Angeles Rams named former Wisconsin Badgers offensive tackle Rob Havenstein as one of its team captains for the 2024 season on Aug. 28.

The Mount Airy, Maryland native is one of the Rams five captains this year, alongside defensive back Quentin Lake, wide receiver Cooper Kupp, quarterback Matthew Stafford and nose tackle Kobie Turner.

This is the third straight season that Havenstein will wear the capital “C” on his jersey. He also joins outside linebacker T.J. Watt (Steelers), quarterback Russell Wilson (Steelers), running back Jonathan Taylor (Colts), linebacker T.J. Edwards (Bears) and fullback Alec Ingold (Dolphins) as current Wisconsin alumnus in the NFL to earn the recognition ahead of the 2024 season.

Havenstein was a First-Team All-America selection with the Badgers in 2014. He played for the program from 2010-14, matching a school record with 54 career games. He also helped the Badgers set a school record for total offense at 480.8 yards per game during his fourth season in Madison in 2013.

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This will mark Havenstein’s tenth NFL campaign with the Rams after being selected No. 57 overall in the 2015 NFL draft. Following the franchise’s transition to the California, he reeled in a championship ring under Sean McVay’s tutelage during the team’s 2021 Super Bowl winning season.

Outside of playing only nine games in 2019, Havenstein has been a dependable member of the Rams offensive line. He has not appeared in fewer than 14 games since his rookie year in 2015.

Denver Broncos host former Wisconsin offensive lineman for tryout

Denver Broncos host former Wisconsin offensive lineman in tryout

The Denver Broncos hosted former Wisconsin offensive lineman Tyler Beach in a tryout on Tuesday, according to the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel.

The Grafton, Wisconsin native participated in the tryout alongside defensive back Micah Abraham, offensive tackle Anim Dankwah and offensive tackle Matt Nelson.

The news comes roughly one week after the Pittsburgh Steelers released Beach to make room on their final 53-man roster. He, alongside DB Kiondre Thomas, DL Marquiss Spencer, LB Kyahva Tezino, OL Devery Hamilton, RB Daijun Edwards, and WRs Jacob Copeland and T.J. Luther were among those released.

Beach now appears to be pursuing a spot on the Broncos’ 16-man practice squad before the 2024 season.

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The 6’6” lineman saw the majority of his collegiate playing time from 2021-22, his final seasons with the Badgers. Beach started 21 contests during those seasons and pocketed an All-Big Ten third team selection in 2022.

Beach did sign with the Houston Texans as a free agent in 2023 but failed to see the field.