Where do the Badgers go after losing key starter to torn ACL?
'Obviously, I think he's gonna have to have surgery,' Fickell said about Heywood. 'We're probably going to lose him and probably not going to get him back obviously, even for the season. So that was one that's going to be really difficult and tough, but, it's also a part of the game.'
Advertisement
The news deals a huge blow to Wisconsin's offensive line, which went injury-free in 2024 and was the biggest key to the offense. Heywood was expected to spell multi-year starter Jack Nelson as the blindside protector, and was one of the Badgers' most heralded recruits in their 2024 recruiting class.
However, he's expected to miss the season, leaving the Badgers scrambling in the middle of spring ball, as they're now thinner on the offensive line, especially at tackle.
'As we came out today, it was a little bit less emotion and energy than I wanted,' Fickell said. 'And we actually ended a little bit early just because the sheer fact of, you know, we weren't going to go a two-minute situation there at the end. It's just as you start to get a little bit thin up front on the offensive line.
'But we got to continue... This is a grown man's league and we got to prepare and practice like grow men. And I know that's hard.'
Advertisement
Wisconsin is now in uncharted territory, which means reserves will have to step up into bigger roles. Who are some of the names that are poised for bigger roles?
'We've been fortunate up front in the last two seasons to have those guys prepared and be able to last through the season,' Fickell said about the offensive line.
'Now, we got to have to figure out how we're going to manage some of that and move some guys around and expect some other guys to step up, whether it's Leyton Nelson and Emerson Mandel, and guys like that that got to step in.'
Nelson has been the swing tackle in camp, even taking reps with the first-team offense to spell one of the starting tackles at times this spring. He took first-team reps at left tackle on Tuesday with Heywood out.
Advertisement
Mandel, on the other hand, has been competing at right guard, and could end up as Wisconsin's starter at the position if he wins the battle over J.P. Benzschawel and Kerry Kodanko.
Wisconsin also could turn to other options, such as moving Joe Brunner to left tackle or even Riley Mahlman over to the left side. But, there is a difficulty with making such a change, which is why Fickell is hoping that other players step up into a bigger role.
'There's plenty of ability to move right now in where we are offensively and what we want to continue to do,' Fickell said when asked about the possibility of moving Mahlman or Brunner over. 'It's really difficult to do that even [with] a Riley [Mahlman] or a Joe [Brunner] at this moment.
'Like, we have to give other guys opportunities to step up. You know, they've been here for a while. They deserve, you know, that chance and that opportunity. And then as we get into the summer, we'll figure out how we're going to be able to fit that and what's going to be best for us because, you got a lot of time to get guys into positions. To me, it's still about understanding the hole and making sure we're not taking a step backwards when you have injuries. So we'll move forward.'
Advertisement
The Badgers had a number of questions entering the spring with their new-look roster and a tough schedule ahead of them in 2025. Now, they've got one more added to the mix and it's a big one with the loss of Heywood, likely for the season.
More from buckys5thquarter.com:
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Ronny Mauricio elicits boos from Mets fans following costly error
Access the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free The Citi Field crowd might have started in a good mood after the ceremony honoring David Wright before the game. But they certainly didn't end that way, showering boos across the final innings of a 5-2 loss to the Reds. On such episode of jeering came on what appeared to be a double play that went awry. From the way the ball left Tyler Stephenson's bat, the result seemed predictable. It would've allowed Reed Garrett, who'd just replaced Clay Holmes and inherited a first-and-third jam in the sixth inning, to escape after just one pitch. 3 Cincinnati Reds designated hitter Austin Hays (12) slides safely into third base as New York Mets third baseman Ronny Mauricio (10) fields an infield single by first baseman Spencer Steer during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Brad Penner-Imagn Images But after Ronny Mauricio fielded the 73 mph grounder at third, his throw pulled Brett Baty to the left and off second base, turning a potential inning-ending double play into a fielder's choice that allowed a run to score. One batter later, Jake Fraley doubled to plate Stephenson. 3 Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jake Fraley reaches third base on his RBI double as New York Mets third baseman Ronny Mauricio reacts along side him in the sixth inning at Citi Field in Queens, New York, USA, Saturday, July 19, 2025. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST Mauricio's miscue led to the Mets eventually surrendering the two insurance runs they couldn't afford to allow with a mostly quiet offense struggling again. 'Maybe trying to be a little too quick there, especially knowing the runners from home to first,' manager Carlos Mendoza said. 'You have the catcher there, and maybe just a little too quick there when you know that knowing the runner and the situation there, making sure that you finish the play there. And we didn't do it.' Mauricio, who went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts at the plate, was one of the Mets who received boos from the sold-out crowd at Citi Field. Two innings after the errant throw, after Jeff McNeil led off the eighth by reaching on an error, Mauricio had a chance to extend the Mets' attempt at a rally, but instead, he grounded the first pitch back up the middle and allowed shortstop Elly De La Cruz to easily step on second and snap a throw to first. 3 New York Mets third base Ronny Mauricio (10) strikes out in the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field, Friday, July 18, 2025, in Queens, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST He also had a chance to deliver in the first inning with the bases loaded — an opportunity to help the Mets build on an early lead after Mark Vientos' RBI single — but grounded out to second, adding another wrinkle to his rocky 31-game stretch in the majors that followed a return from the torn ACL that cost him all of 2024. At times, Mauricio has flashed his potential and provided a glimpse at the tantalizing power with four homers. CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS At other points, he has produced reminders, such as the .096 average and .279 OPS with runners in scoring position he entered Saturday with, for why he's stuck in a three-man logjam at third base with Baty and Vientos. 'He's been really good for us defensively,' Mendoza said of Mauricio's 17 starts at third base. 'Continues to make plays — not only the routine plays, but I feel like he's showing some range and his ability to throw from different angles, coming in to the ball, backhanded. Overall, he's been solid for us there.' But with the Mets needing him to execute a routine play, Mauricio faltered.
NBC Sports
5 hours ago
- NBC Sports
DeMarvion Overshown provides positive medical update
Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown tore the ACL, MCL and PCL in his right knee in Week 14, which put his entire 2025 season in jeopardy. Overshown always has had a positive outlook, and it appears the medical staff has given him a positive update. 'Good news from the Doc! We getting active THIS szn,' Overshown wrote on Instagram. It remains to be seen when that will be. Overshown will start training camp on active/physically unable to perform and likely will move to reserve/PUP before the season as he continues his rehab into the season. He tore the ACL in his left knee in the preseason before his rookie season in 2023, missing the season. In 13 games last season, Overshown totaled 90 tackles, an interception, five sacks, four passes defensed and a forced fumble.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Dave Roberts gives Mookie Betts a day off as season-long slump continues
It took just one game coming out of the All-Star break for Dave Roberts to know Mookie Betts still wasn't right. A week ago, Roberts was hopeful that Betts — coming off his first missed All-Star Game in a decade — would return from the break refocused and rejuvenated; ready to snap out of a career-worst start to his season and rediscover a swing that has eluded him for much of the campaign. Instead, in the Dodgers' second-half opener Friday night, Betts went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. His batting average dipped to .241 (more than 20 points worse than he has ever posted in a full season) while his OPS fell to .688 (the worst it has been all year). And, as has been the case for most of the summer, his signs of frustration were abundantly clear, with the 32-year-old looking lost at the plate. Read more: Dodgers are shut out by Brewers, but Tyler Glasnow shows signs of growth Thus, when Roberts set his team's lineup for Saturday, the manager made a surprise decision to leave Betts out of it, giving his superstar shortstop an unplanned day off after calling Betts on Saturday morning to discuss the state of his game. 'Talking to him, seeing where his head is at, seeing where he's at mechanically, I just thought tonight was a night where I felt he needed to be down,' Roberts said hours later, ahead of the Dodgers' game against the Milwaukee Brewers. 'He was more than willing and wanted to be out there. But for me, I wanted to take it out of his hands [so he could] have a day. I've talked about this before, just having players watch a baseball game. And I understand we just had four days off at the break. But still showing up at the ballpark, and not participating, watching, that's a different mindset, psyche than being at home. So for him to come here, show up, not play, know he's not going to play, I feel good about the work he's going to put in today. Also, I think, for the mind it will be beneficial.' Betts did not talk to reporters Saturday, but did go through his normal set of pregame infield drills at shortstop — further confirming that, indeed, his absence from the lineup had nothing to do with any sort of injury-related issue. While Roberts said his "expectation" is that Betts will be back in action Sunday, he left the door open to giving Betts another day off for the series finale. 'It's going to be a day-to-day thing,' Roberts said. 'It's going to be my decision on how I feel he is mentally to take on that night's starter.' There was no specific moment from Friday's game that convinced Roberts such a break was warranted. Instead, it was the fact that so little had seemingly changed from where Betts was before the All-Star break, when he reached the midway mark in a three-for-24 slump and batting just .185 over his previous 31 games. 'He's not used to struggling like this,' Roberts said of Betts, who also has only 11 home runs and a .377 slugging percentage. 'There's a part of it where you feel like you're letting people down, letting the team down. That weight that is just natural for him to carry is there. That's a little bit from last night, just seeing him.' Betts has struggled to identify the cause of his decline — one so stark, he has a below-league-average mark of 95 in the all-encompassing OPS+ metric (effectively meaning he has been 5% less productive than a league average hitter). In an interview before Friday's game, he said he has cycled through various 'feels' with his swing in hopes of getting his mechanics realigned. Hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc pointed to inefficiencies in the way Betts 'loads' his arms and hands, which he believes have impacted the slugger's bat path and swing sequence. 'There's no exact [fix], where you can do this, this and this,' Van Scoyoc said, 'because he has to find something for him that works organically that gets him lined up.' Read more: 'As lucky as we could be.' Dodgers' Max Muncy already recovering better than expected To that end, Roberts' hope is that Saturday's day off will help. That it comes just two days into the second half signals how urgent Betts' struggles have become. 'He understood,' Roberts said. 'He's a guy that wants to be out there every single day. But I think he understood that it was my decision and I think it's best for him, I think it's best for our ballclub. He'll be ready when called upon.' Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
