The Badgers break fall camp tomorrow as fall quickly approaches. There are a lot of storylines worth watching and position groups that have open competition. One unit that always intrigues a Wisconsin Badger fan is the offensive line. Listening to Kevin Heywood talk about the big difference from 2025 to 2026 will have fans thrilled. And it's not just what he said, but what reporters are seeing from that unit ahead of the season.
Kevin Heywood met with reporters this week and said, "We are going to bring it every day; in the past, that's not been the same. I think we are nasty as shit this year. We are going to punch people in the mouth, hit people in the face; that's what it's going to be."
If that doesn't make you want to run through a brick wall, then maybe you need to go get a checkup at the doctor. That's the Wisconsin offensive lines of old. Coming in and being nasty, gritty, fierce, the toughest dudes on the field. Heywood says this unit is mean and nasty. Perfect. But that's not all; this group is closer than ever.
Kevin Heywood on what the difference will be for the OL in 2026.
— Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) August 5, 2026
“I think we’re nasty as shit this year.” pic.twitter.com/pmtOVPcjGY
Wisconsin's offensive line room has never been as tight of a unit under Luke Fickell as they are in 2026
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The room is full of competition; figuring out the starters isn't an easy task, and figuring out who's pushing the starters may be even harder. So, you would think it would be a room that is pitted against each other, fighting and clawing to be the ones that start at any cost. But this room is tight, and they are visibly close. Reporters noticed that all the offensive linemen had some sort of buzz cut or colored hair... and that's intentional.
Colin Cubberly said that each player decided to do something to their hair. Some have buzz cuts; he went with the mohawk; PJ Wilkins is going with hair dye. Which shouldn't surprise anyone; Wilkins has a nice full head of hair with medium-length freeform dreadlocks. His solidarity will be in hair dye. The offensive line did this as a way to bond and signal their togetherness. Cubberly said that the group is extremely close, and Wisconsin fans are hoping that bleeds onto the field.
Sounds like the entire offensive line has either buzzed their hair or messed with it in some way
— Riley Jauch (@rileyjauch) August 5, 2026
Colin Cubberly opted for the mohawk and PJ Wilkins will dye his hair
Cited the closeness of the unit as the impetus pic.twitter.com/ZwzhmnS6m5
Last year, the entire offense was a problem, and the offensive line was patchwork, at best. The Badgers went with a discount offensive line, and it cost them in so many ways. This year, that won't be the case. The room is deeper, more experienced, talented, and, according to everyone, nastier than anything Wisconsin was putting out there in 2025.
Wisconsin offensive line coach Eric Mateos has this unit ready to go, and fall camp will only help elevate the team. The glory days of Wisconsin had the offensive line as the best players and the team leaders; it does appear that the Badgers are headed towards a similar 2026.
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