Badgers have to replace 3 lineman

Death and taxes might be the only things more consistent than the Wisconsin football team’s offensive line in the last 20-plus years.

 The faces of the players and the coaches change, but still these five very large men, no matter who they are, continue to open holes and protect the quarterback better than any other group in the nation. This notion may be tested this year, though, as the Badgers have lost three starters from last season: center Peter Konz, guard Kevin Zeitler and tackle Josh Oglesby.

Losing three starters is never good for an offensive line and can cause problems in the following year, but so far, that conventional thinking has not applied to the Badgers’ offensive line.

Last year’s offensive line is an example of that. Despite losing three members to the NFL the year before, new players stepped in and Wisconsin made a repeat appearance in the Rose Bowl. If past experience is any indicator, the Badgers might be in for another berth in Pasadena.

One thing that is different from last year, however, is the man molding these gargantuan men. Offensive line coach Bob Bostad left Madison with former offensive coordinator Paul Chryst to become the offensive coordinator at Pittsburgh, but then took off for the offensive line job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this February.

The man that UW selected to succeed Bostad is former Ole Miss offensive line coach Mike Markuson. Markuson is very experienced, having spent the last 14 years in the SEC under Houston Nutt. Markuson, who was born in Farmington, Minn., said that he was glad to once again be back in the Midwest and working under head coach Bret Bielema.

Let's hope it is a flawless transition.  

Konz ready for the NFL

Former University of Wisconsin center Peter Konz had to wait later than most NFL draft prospects to show what he could do.

Konz suffered a dislocated left ankle in the game against Minnesota on Nov. 12.

So he only took part in the bench press at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis in late February and put up a disappointing 18 repetitions at 225 pounds.

During UW's pro day on March 7, Konz was limited to snapping for quarterback Russell Wilson during quarterback drills.

Konz finally got a chance to show what he could do Wednesday in a workout at the McClain Center and may have cemented his status as the top center in the draft later this month. Sixteen NFL teams were represented at the workout, mostly offensive line coaches.

"I thought it went very well," Konz said. "It's been a long journey, rehabbing from Nov. 12 until today and mustering out that Rose Bowl, really taking it easy during the combine, which was hard because teams want to see you.

"To get out here today and really feel healthy and able to do all the workouts makes me feel really confident."

Konz did not run a 40-yard dash. He did the bench press and also went through offensive line drills.

"It would have put more strain on my ankle," Konz said of the 40. "It's really more important to do the O-line drills, to see I'm functional, I can go in a minicamp and do it.

"If I go out and do a 40 and all of a sudden tweak something, that's just not smart."

First, Konz had to put to bed the number 18, which haunted him since the combine.

"There are tight ends and probably a running back or two that beat me," he said of his bench press reps. "It just burns through your pride."

He worked with UW assistant strength coach Brian Bott and the results showed as Konz improved to 23 repetitions.

"Brian Bott really helped me," Konz said. "He did a phenomenal job. That's a big leap from, what was it, a month ago until now?"

Former Michigan center David Molk led the way for offensive linemen in the bench press at the combine with 41 reps. Konz is tall for a center at 6-foot-5 and that does not help in the bench press. By comparison, Molk is 6-1.

But Konz made no excuses for a performance some draft analysts thought could have been a red flag that keeps him out of the first round.

It would be nice if the Packers drafted him.  GO BUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Konz goes to the NFL

Junior center Peter Konz officially announced he will make himself eligible for the NFL draft.

Konz, from Neenah, took 18 credits in the fall — 12 is a full-time load — so he would graduate in the spring and fulfill a promise he made to his mother, Margaret.

"As you've probably heard, I have decided to forgo my senior season and enter the NFL draft," Konz said in a statement. "Because of the support I have received, the degree I am so proud to leave with, the football legacy I helped leave behind, and more reasons than I could even remember, I would simply like to say thank you. "Every last person has made my experience at Wisconsin far beyond what I could have imagined and without you I could never be where I am today."

Konz wrote this letter to UW fans.

He started 31 games at center over the past three seasons. He was a finalist this season for the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation's top center. He was named a first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches' Association and Pro Football Weekly.

"I knew when we received the information back from the NFL that Pete would have a tough decision ahead of him," UW coach Bret Bielema said in a statement. "He has been one of the most enjoyable players I have had the pleasure to coach."

"I know being a Badger meant the world to him and his family. I want to thank him not only for all his hard work and effort on the field but for also representing our program and the University of Wisconsin in a first-class manner throughout his career."

Some draft projections have Konz being taken late in the first round or early in the second.

His departure means the Badgers must fill three starting spots on the offensive line since they're also losing two seniors: right guard Kevin Zeitler and right tackle Josh Oglesby.

Let's hope that he is successful in the NFL.  GO BUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!