Wisconsin football boasts one of PFF's top returning Big Ten offensive tackles
Mahlman, the Badgers' starting right tackle since 2022, graded out at 76.0 last season. He's ranked below only Michigan State right tackle Conner Moore (via Montana State) at 79.5, Indiana left tackle Carter Smith at 80.2, Northwestern left tackle Caleb Tiernan at 84.6, Oregon right tackle Alex Harkey (via Texas State) at 85.8 and Iowa right tackle Gennings Dunker at 90.2.
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When transfers Moore and Harkey are not considered, Mahlman is the fourth-highest-graded returning Big Ten offensive tackle.
ProFootballFocus outlined Mahlman's strong standing back in February, when it ranked him as the No. 10-ranked tackle in college football entering 2025.
"Mahlman entered 2024 as our No. 8 offensive tackle in college football and remains in the top 10 a year later. The only returning Power Four tackle who's been more valuable than him over the last two years is Wagner according to PFF's WAA metric. Mahlman's 79.6 grade in that span is tied for 34th among all tackles in the nation. The player tied with him is Olu Fashanu, a top-15 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He's both a good pass-blocker and run-blocker, earning 75.0-plus grades in each over the last two seasons."
Mahlman's strong position entering 2025 is no surprise. The standout tackle has been a mainstay on Wisconsin's offensive line since his redshirt freshman season in 2022, excelling in 2023 and 2024 despite the overall struggles of Phil Longo's air raid scheme.
His play will be key to Wisconsin's success in 2025. New offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes is set to return the unit to its pro-style roots, a shift that should help the entire offensive line. A spring practice injury to starting left tackle Kevin Heywood raises some questions about the unit's alignment and performance. It will bring increased focus to Mahlman's play, especially as the team is likely forced to scheme help for its blind-side replacement.
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We get a first look at Mahlman, Wisconsin's offensive line and the mentioned new-look pro-style scheme when the Badgers begin their season on Thursday, Aug. 28, at home against Miami (OH).
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin Badgers tackle Riley Mahlman among PFF's top Big Ten OTs
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