Wisconsin’s starting right tackle job remains an open competition
Entering fall camp, Wisconsin needed to replace two starters on the offensive line and had more than enough talent to vie for those spots.
It seemed like a foregone conclusion that three of Wisconsin’s five starting offensive line spots, namely left tackle, left guard, and center were already locked down by returning starters.
Now, it’s becoming more apparent that a fourth spot, right guard, might also have a spot solidified by redshirt senior Michael Furtney, who has taken the first-team reps at RG dating back to spring practice.
This development leaves right tackle as the Badgers’ last remaining spot up for grabs, with plenty of high-pedigree recruits pushing for time.
According to Zach Heilprin of Madcity Sportszone, Riley Mahlman was the first-team RT on Monday, with Logan Brown getting work with the second unit.
Per the 247sports Composite, Mahlman, a four-star recruit, was the No. 141 overall prospect in the 2021 recruiting class, the No. 15 OT in the country, and the No. 1 player in Minnesota.
“I think he’s improved at a pretty good click. He’s making some good strides in a short amount of time, which we need him to do,” coach Bob Bostad explained. “He’s still a young guy, and he needs reps, but I like the way he approaches the game. I like the way he plays the game. He’s physical and wants to be tough.”
Joining Mahlman was Jack Nelson at left tackle, Tyler Beach at left guard, Joe Tippmann at center, and Furtney at right guard. It’s certainly possible that this will be the starting five come September 3 if the Minnesota native can hold off Brown, a former five-star OT, for the starting spot.
That said, the competition at RT is far from over. When Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal asked coach Bostad about the job, he simply replied, “it’s open.”
Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.
