Lucas at Large: Badgers look to Biadasz for leadership
February 20, 2019 | Football, Mike Lucas, Varsity Magazine
Lone returner on offensive line takes lessons from departing teammates
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BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — With Jon Dietzen's retirement, Tyler Biadasz is now the last offensive lineman standing from Sports Illustrated's 2018 college football preview issue and its "Big is Beautiful" cover featuring the Campfire Sauce Boys: Biadasz, Dietzen, Michael Deiter, Beau Benzschawel and David Edwards.
Respectful of their noteworthy achievements (and appetites), grateful for their unconditional mentoring, and mindful of their invaluable experience — Deiter, Benzschawel, Edwards and Dietzen had a combined 166 career starts — Biadasz is still optimistic about rebuilding around the returning cast.
"We have the ability to be just as good as last year, no doubt about it," suggested Biadasz, a rising junior from Amherst, Wisconsin, and a two-year starter at center. "We have to keep learning and progressing, but I think we can get there. We can do great things."
Biadasz is the linchpin. "I wouldn't trade him for anybody," said UW offensive coordinator and O-line coach Joe Rudolph. "He will be a tremendous leader. He was a leader for us last year. He's got incredible drive and toughness."
How do you measure individual leadership when so many have shared it historically on the O-line? After multiple off-season interviews — during which the players were asked, "Who are the offensive leaders?" — Rudolph revealed, "Tyler was someone who was mentioned by just about everyone."
As prep juniors and seniors, Biadasz and UW tailback Garrett Groshek were co-captains on Amherst teams that finished as state runner-up and then won a Division 5 title. Leadership is not something that Biadasz takes lightly. "I have to take on that role as a leader," he said. "I'm up for it and I love doing it."
Maturing on the job, he has positive takeaways from his mentors, the departing starters.
Deiter (54 games, 54 starts): "He probably got annoyed by me sometimes with how much I picked his brain. With the skill sets that he brought and natural talent, you want to look like him when you play at that speed. He's a gritty guy, too."
Benzschawel (49, 49): "He's pretty athletic. With Michael and Beau, you learned how to play and have those laughs that you remember. You're having fun doing it and you're not just banging heads for no reason. You enjoy it."
Edwards (37, 31): "Dave went from a quarterback (in high school) to a tight end to an offensive lineman. He knew all the formations and kind of helped me learn everything I wanted to learn by just keeping up with the knowledge with him and his competitiveness to learn."
Dietzen (35, 32): "One helluva guy that can compete. He knew his limits, but he knew how to push himself through the pain when necessary. It was just the grit that he played with. Plus, he's a really good guy, one of the guys I talked to when I first came here. It will be different without him around."
Biadasz will also miss Micah Kapoi (48, 15) who had a strong influence on his development and is graduating.
"It kind of stinks because he would (have been) starting at any other place," Biadasz said. "He always picked you up for whatever it was. He was the first one over to you and he'd say, 'Hey, get your chin up.' With him on the sidelines, Micah was just like another coach. He's a really good dude."
In retrospect, Dietzen's choice to leave the sport was not totally unexpected in the O-line room.
"He kind of brought (retiring) up to me during the year," Rudolph said. "The toughness and the commitment and the love that he showed in just playing through what he played through every day was something special. He worked his butt off to take advantage of every rep that he could."
𝐖𝐄 > me #OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) February 15, 2019
Rudolph feels that left tackle is in good hands with Cole Van Lanen, another rising junior. He feels the same about Logan Bruss, a sophomore-to-be, at right tackle. Although Dietzen was the starter, Van Lanen took a majority of the snaps, while Bruss started the final three games of the season.
"I feel really good with how Cole performed last year and with him taking a step forward to being better," said Rudolph. "Logan started the year playing a lot of the tight end stuff which was an indication that we felt confident in his performance and readiness to be out on the field."
The third tackle, according to Rudolph, looms as Tyler Beach, another rising sophomore. "He has done a lot of great things on scouts," Rudolph said of Beach's work on the scout team that simulates opponents. "He's done a solid job finishing some games. This will be a huge spring for him."
The plan is to be smart with Biadasz during spring practice. He doesn't need to show Rudolph what he can do. As a result, Kayden Lyles, who started seven games on the defensive line last season, will get every chance to find his niche on the offensive line. He can play center or guard.
Biadasz is confident Lyles will make a seamless transition back to offense. "We talk a lot on whatever he needs to know," said Biadasz. "During bowl prep (in December) he came back and played with us and he's back in the O-line mindset, he's dialed into the O-line."
Jason Erdmann offers more versatility as a guard or center. He has some experience, too, having appeared in 40 games, one less than David Moorman. As they head into their senior years, there will be an obvious urgency to get on the field.
"I wouldn't be surprised to see him (Moorman) push and compete and earn one of those spots — he keeps plugging away and he keeps getting better at every opportunity," said Rudolph, who also expects Josh Seltzner, a rising sophomore, and Michael Furtney, who redshirted in 2018, to get work inside.
"We'll see how things shake out depth-wise. There will be a lot to fight for."
Four Badgers could have gone their separate ways as they chase their NFL dreams Instead, they're still working together #OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) February 19, 2019
It would have been understandable for Biadasz to be overshadowed in a huddle sporting three first-team All-Americans (Deiter, Benzschawel and Edwards). But the tough-minded Biadasz earned his respect from the league coaches and media by being selected as the consensus All-Big Ten center. Pro Football Focus graded Biadasz as the top-performing center in the nation.
Over the last year, Biadasz has gone to school on some of the better technicians at his position. He has watched tape on former Ohio State center Billy Price, the 2017 Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the year, Rimington Trophy winner and a first-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals.
He has also studied the techniques of former UW center Travis Frederick, a first-round selection of the Dallas Cowboys and four-time Pro Bowler.
"I'm doing a lot of film study," Biadasz said. "I can get a lot better from watching and looking at the fronts and going over them with Coach Rudolph. I've gotten stronger already in the first four weeks (of winter conditioning) and I want to help out others. When you teach it, you've got to know it."
You can officially begin counting down the days, Badger fans... A new season begins: Friday, Aug. 30 in Tampa #OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) February 7, 2019
Biadasz returned to Wisconsin for another year after going through the NFL draft evaluation process, a road map. "It makes you more aware of what they're looking for and it makes you focus on the littler things," he said. "I'm trying to do better with my eating habits and lean out a little bit more."
That shouldn't be as much of a problem now that the "Big is Beautiful" gang has been broken up, leaving behind Biadasz and Dietzen in Madison and only a trail of Campfire Sauce from their weekly feasts on burgers, shakes and endless fries at an area Red Robin restaurant.
Biadasz is anticipating a Red Robin reunion on UW's pro timing day in mid-March.
"It might be the last hurrah," he said.
For sure, it won't be the last supper.
After all, those are good burgers, Walter.
