BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — Now only 22 days away, Wisconsin's spring football game is quickly approaching. The Badgers have been busy with practice, recently returning to pads to the excitement of new and returning players (link to video).
Leading up to April 21, UWBadgers.com Senior Writer Mike Lucas will break down the Badgers, position by position. We get started with the offensive line.
NOTES & NOTABLES
STARTERS VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN IN COTTON BOWL: LT Ryan Ramczyk, LG Jon Dietzen, C Michael Deiter, RG Beau Benzschawel, RT David Edwards.
STARTERS LOST (1): Ramczyk, first-team All-American. Seventh O-lineman in UW's modern era (since 1946) to earn consensus All-America recognition.
RETURNING PLAYERS WITH STARTING EXPERIENCE (7): Deiter (27 career starts), Benzschawel (22), Micah Kapoi (12), Jacob Maxwell (10), Deitzen (8), Edwards (7), Brett Connors (4).
RETURNING PLAYERS WITH GAME EXPERIENCE (2): David Moorman (13 career games played), Jason Erdmann (13).
2016 REDSHIRT FRESHMEN (3): Tyler Biadasz, Patrick Kasl, Cole Van Lanen.
2017 FRESHMAN CLASS: Kayden Lyles (enrolled and practicing this spring), Tyler Beach, Logan Bruss, Alex Fenton, Josh Seitzner, Blake Smithback.
NOT PRACTICING THIS SPRING: Dietzen and Maxwell.
THE HANDYMAN
Versatility has been a trademark of this position group. Bill Nagy played center and guard. So did Travis Frederick. Ryan Groy played center, guard and tackle (along with tight end and fullback). Deiter has played center and guard in the same game without a drop-off. Benzschawel was a starting tackle before converting to guard. Edwards was a tight end before transitioning to tackle.
At Tuesday's first padded practice, Connors took reps at center and left tackle. "I've been ready to go at right tackle, so just the two positions for now, but more to come," said Connors, a junior-to-be from New Berlin. Added Edwards, "You could plug him in at guard, too, and he'd be successful. He's one of the few guys who knows everything that is going on in the offense. He pretty much does everything for us."
As far as adjusting to multiple positions, Connors conceded, "It definitely offers a big challenge. There are a lot of intricacies playing the O-line. But it's easy to embrace because once you know center and learn tackle, it's kind of like everything molds together."
Connors was the starting center in the first four Big Ten games against Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State and Iowa. The experience was invaluable. "That was huge just knowing the speed of the game and the speed of the calls," he said. "Things come at you quick. You learn a lot of things by playing in a game. You've got to keep your eyes up. I thought it was a great learning experience and I'm excited to possibly be in a bigger role this year."
UW offensive coordinator and O-line coach Joe Rudolph has been pleased by Connors' development. "Brett does so many things well," he said. "His biggest battle is just getting stronger and more explosive and he has taken steps at every opportunity in the weight room to grow."
Said the 307-pound Connors, "Every time I get a chance to get in the weight room, I know that's kind of my edge. I'm not abnormally strong — Jon Dietzen can squat a house. I know I have to make up for that in other areas. So every time I get in the weight room, I just try to attack and get everything that I can out of it."
SPRINGING INTO SPRING
What's the best thing about practicing football in March? "It's slower," Edwards said. "You can work on specific things and not have to worry about preparing for an opponent. You're kind of working on yourself more than you're working on countering or defending against another player."
He also pointed out that Dietzen and Maxwell are making the most out of the spring without contact work. They're not banging around. "But they're right behind us getting those mental reps," he said, "and working on their footwork as if they were in there."
What's the biggest challenge this time of the year when there is no gameday incentive? "It's just constantly going out there every day and competing," Connors said. "Have a vision. Have a focus. Make sure you stay true to yourself."
QUOTE TO NOTE
Rudolph: "I want this group to set a really great vision for themselves. There are a number of them that have played a significant number of snaps. I want them to have a vision of who they want to be and never lose sight of what they have to do to get there. The rest, I believe, will take care of itself. We'll detail stuff up and they'll continue to get stronger and more powerful. But just taking that ownership relates to everything you do. How you approach meetings. How you work when there are no meetings no practices. How you practice. That's what I'm excited for."
FROM QB to TE to RT to LT
After starting the final seven games at right tackle last season, Edwards, a converted tight end, has made the switch to left tackle, replacing Ramczyk. "I would just say I'm still getting comfortable with that side," said Edwards, a sophomore-to-be from Downers Grove, Illinois (where he was a prep quarterback). "It's mirrored obviously (with the right side) but I'm getting used to the footwork and the strike. That will take a little bit of time, for sure. It's an adjustment period … But I'm still trying to get better as much as I can and I'm trying to be a leader and as dependable as I can for this group."
At 305 pounds, the 6-foot-8 Edwards is 10 pounds heavier than he was at the end of last season. He doesn't plan on getting bigger ("I'm trying to get my body used to this weight"). Edwards is striving for more consistency as someone the coaches "can count on in short yardage and pass protection." In this context, he said, "It's about having a vision to be the best player I can be whether that's being an All-Big Ten guy and an Academic All-Big Ten guy. Creating a vision like that, having the end in mind, you've got to carry that with you when you practice and when you're out of the facility to kind of build your edge."
With Edwards moving over to left tackle, it has created an opening at right tackle, especially with Maxwell sidelined. Kasl took a number of reps at RT on Tuesday. "He has been thrown into the mix — with Max (Maxwell) being out — and he has got to swim fast," Rudolph said of Kasl (pronounced "Castle"), who hails from Wyoming, Minnesota. "I like his approach. He's smart and he works his tail off. He's physical and he's got a skill set that can help us. So we'll find out this spring."
When Kasl, who just turned 19, reported last summer, he weighed 285. He now scales between 315 and 320. "It was just a good chance to get better and bigger and work on my skills and everything else," he said of his redshirt season. "It's definitely a lot faster (at this level). People are a lot stronger and it's a big adjustment. I'm just trying to get better in every way right now, especially with my technique and my awareness to everything that is going on in the field. I want to be an impact player."
Edwards can relate to what Kasl is going through. "Oh, I've been there myself … I was in that position during training camp," he said. "I always say to guys, 'Take it one day at a time. It will come. Keep working.'"
Edwards reminded Lyles of the same things Tuesday. So did Rudolph. "You've got to put it (a bad play) behind you and play the next play," Rudolph told Lyles, "because the guys next to you are counting on you. I also told him, 'You're going to have a day like that' — you expect some early situations, especially when it's team (training together) and people are moving all over the place (on defense). But I'm excited about what he has shown so far — and I'm excited to see how he responds to the practice."
POST-PRACTICE PRACTICE
After Tuesday's practice, the offensive line split into two groups in a corner of the McClain Indoor Facility. One group worked on some fundamental pass protection — footwork and resistance with Rudolph. The other on bag drills with graduate assistant Al Johnson. "It's a time when things are still fresh in your mind from practice," Rudolph said. "You get a chance to discuss questions that you have or kind of clarify some things. This group likes to work. It's a chance for us to touch base and work together."
The post-practice practice lasted about 20 minutes. Everyone else had cleared the field by the time they were done. "It helps," Edwards said. "What we do after practice definitely leads us into the next practice. I think it's huge." Pausing, he laughed and said, "We call it halftime. We enjoy it."
NOTE TO QUOTE
Two former UW teammates, Kevin Zeitler and Rick Wagner, are now the highest-paid right guard and right tackle, respectively, in the National Football League. Zeitler, 27, a first-round draft choice of the Cincinnati Bengals, signed a five-year, $60 million free agent contract with the Cleveland Browns. Wagner, 27, a fifth-round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens, signed a five-year, $47.5 million free agent contract with the Detroit Lions. Zeitler was heavily recruited out of Wisconsin Lutheran High School. Wagner got more traffic from basketball coaches than football coaches at West Allis Hale; he was offered scholarships by Milwaukee and Green Bay to play hoops. Wisconsin recruited him as a tight end and converted him into a tackle as a freshman (see Edwards above). Wagner was a walk-on.
RUDY SEZ
"I just like working with the guys … the best part about spring ball is you can see growth," shared Rudolph. "You can see guys develop. You get the chance to get back around the redshirt freshmen and get them into the fold. You get the chance to see a guy that has played a good bit really take a step and all of a sudden go from a consistent player to a dominating player. That's the kind of growth that you want to see."
