Joe Brunner transferred to Indiana this offseason after another down year of Wisconsin football. It was a tough loss for the offensive line, as he was one of the only veterans returning. The line would need to be rebuilt through the portal. He also may or may not have fit ideally into new offensive line coach Eric Mateos' scheme and plan. Yet, now at Indiana, Wisconsin fans are watching him step into a new role that he never embraced fully in Madison: the vocal offensive line leader.
Some of that may not be his fault; he lived in the shadow of Riley Mahlman and Jake Renfro, but the sentiment is there. In a year in which Wisconsin could use a veteran presence on the offensive line to be vocal and help push this line in the future, Brunner is doing this in Indiana instead.
It's clear, according to the media, that Brunner is doing these things, as they ask Cignetti about his new leadership role. Cignetti actually said that he basically is forcing his transfers to step into this role, people like Brunner. "This is the time of year where a number of the older transfers start to step up a little bit, and you've got to put them in that position."
Curt Cignetti shares about new OL transfer Joe Brunner taking on leadership role #iufb
— Hoosier Review (@Hoosier_Review) August 10, 2026
"This is the time of year where a number of the older transfers start to step up a little bit, and you got to put them in that position"
Great question @Hoosier_Huddle pic.twitter.com/kWQRMVTA6h
Joe Brunner is now a veteran leader for Wisconsin in a "what could have been" moment for Wisconsin
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Cignetti said that he is assigning some of these transfers the opportunity to speak before the team, to find their voice and step into leadership. Brunner was considered a leader for Wisconsin but more in presence than vocal. He was a guy who helped anchor the line and provided a veteran, "lead by example" situation, but the vocal side is now coming to fruition in Indiana.
Let's be nuanced here. It made sense for Brunner to move on; the offensive line coach was changing, and he had an opportunity to play for a contender right away. It also makes sense for Wisconsin to let Mateos build an offensive line around who he wants and how he sees it functioning in Jeff Grimes' offense. However, all that said, it doesn't make it easier to see a guy like Brunner in a different color, red, being the leader that he could have been at Wisconsin in his final season.
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He's a good one, and Badger fans will be rooting for him, and if Wisconsin's offensive line is good this season, it won't matter much. There won't be too much looking in the rearview mirror, but right now there is a little. Brunner is a guy that will clearly help Indiana, and he would have maybe even helped Wisconsin more, but at this point, it is what it is.
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