Earlier this morning, Wisconsin announced a big shake-up on the staff by firing offensive line coach AJ Blazek. His replacement was announced shortly after, and Arkansas offensive line coach Eric Mateos will soon make his way to Madison.
In some potential good news for the Badgers, Arkansas offensive lineman JacQawn McRoy entered the transfer portal yesterday, and now has the opportunity to follow his coach to Wisconsin.
BREAKING: Arkansas OL JacQawn “Shaq” McRoy plans to enter the @TransferPortal, he tells @On3Sports⁰⁰The 6’8 335 OL appeared in 6 games this season
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 9, 2025
He started his career at Oregon & will have 3 years of eligibility left⁰https://t.co/RlUbB6EMhS pic.twitter.com/cLunMQN606
Badger could land a big tackle in the portal thanks to new offensive line coach
The Badger offensive line was certainly not up to program standards in 2025, and the 2026 group leaves plenty of questions unanswered as well. Wisconsin is set to lose Riley Mahlman, Jake Renfro and more due to graduations, and they'll need an injection of talent in order to regain some form.
McRoy, a 6-foot-8, 335-pound tackle, would be a perfect player for Luke Fickell and company to add through the portal. Out of high school, McRoy was the No. 9 tackle in the class and the No. 95 player overall. After starting his career at Oregon, McRoy transferred to Arkansas ahead of the 2025 season. He'll now be on to his third school in as many years.
Fickell and the Badgers have emphasized that the portal will be a big part of constructing their 2026 roster, and landing someone like McRoy could go along way in proving that statement. Time will tell if hiring Mateos, and the increased NIL funding, will be enough to lure the big tackle up to Madison.