The Wisconsin Badgers are midway through Fall camp gearing up for their Week 1 clash against Notre Dame next month, but a massive question mark still hangs over their offensive line: starting guard Emerson Mandell is completely sidelined and hasn’t seen the field yet. With new faces everywhere and the season opener looming, his absence is becoming an absolutely critical issue as the coaching staff looks to solidify things.
The Mandell Mystery and More O-Line Woes
Mandell, a four-star recruit from the Class of 2025, has been dealing with injuries for a while now. He was bugged by them last season, and the bad luck continued into the spring, leading to a foot procedure. Now, as Fall camp progresses, he’s still not participating. Head coach Luke Fickell openly admitted at Big Ten Media Days that Mandell’s return would be a “slower process.” Just last week, Fickell gave an update that doesn’t sound super encouraging, saying, “I’m hoping that we start to see him in there a little bit more. We knew he was going to be a little bit slower. We didn’t know how early or when we would get him in camp. And I think we’re still in the same spot.” Fickell emphasized that they’ll “have to challenge ourselves” and “figure out here in the next 10 days” what the plan is. It’s not just Mandell either; Kevin Heywood, who missed all of the 2025 season with a torn ACL, also picked up a lower-body injury early in camp and has been out. That’s two key guys missing significant time.
Who Steps Up for the Young O-Line?
Despite the injury setbacks, the Badgers’ offensive line is pegged as a “young-and-improving” unit, with a ton of roster changes and new starters almost everywhere. They’ve brought in some big transfers, including Ole Miss’s P.J. Wilkins, projected to start at left guard, and Oklahoma State’s Austin Kawecki, who’s set to be the center. Blake Cherry from Arkansas and Stylz Blackmon from Augustana are also in the mix, along with Florida State’s Lucas Simmons-Johannson. Mandell’s absence has created a huge opportunity for Cherry and Blackmon, who were the primary backup guards in the spring, to get valuable first-team reps. Fickell loves the competitive spirit this creates, noting how important it is to develop younger guys, especially after a season where all five starters played the entire time, leaving them “really thin” in the past. “Not that you want guys out, but there’s no better time than to give some of these guys opportunities,” Fickell said.
With Week 1 against Notre Dame just around the corner, these next 10 days are absolutely critical for the Badgers’ offensive line. Can Cherry and Blackmon solidify those guard spots? Will Mandell surprise everyone with a quicker return to the field? The offensive line is the heart of any offense, and the Badgers need to sort it out fast if they want to hit the ground running against the Fighting Irish.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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