Luke Fickell says this embattled starter had best week of practice ahead of Rutgers game

MADISON, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 19: PJ Wilkins #71 of the Wisconsin Badgers leads the team on the field before game against the Eastern Michigan Eagles at Camp Randall Stadium on September 19, 2026 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Wisconsin Badgers offensive line has been shuffling quite a bit this season, as Wisconsin has battled through injuries and searched to find their top five guys.Wisconsin started the season with PJ Wilkins at left tackle Colin Cubberly at left guard, Austin Kawecki at center, Blake Cherry at right guard, and Kevin Heywood at right tackle. Since then, only Cubberly has remained a starter at his position.The Badgers initially had a rotation with Cherry and Stylz Blackmon at right guard in the season opener before going to Blackmon. Then, they started to work in Emerson Mandell with Blackmon after the junior returned from injury. However, with PJ Wilkins struggling weekly at left tackle, the Badgers made a big shift.Wisconsin moved Heywood back to left tackle, while kicking Mandell out to right tackle for the second straight year and keeping Blackmon at right guard. Wilkins worked in with Mandell at right tackle initially, but then the Badgers saw another shift as Austin Kawecki suffered a broken hand, moving Stylz Blackmon in to center.Wisconsin elected to go with Barrett Nelson initially at right guard, having moved him inside during practice a few weeks prior, and he had a strong first start, but got hurt again after one game. So, they went to PJ Wilkins at right guard after that, and he struggled again in the loss to UCLA.Kawecki healed up enough to play with a cast, so he was slotted in to play right guard while Blackmon stayed at center, and that lineup seemed to work. But Heywood suffered a season-ending injury in the Iowa game, prompting yet another change on the offensive line.So, Wisconsin went back to Wilkins at left tackle against Rutgers, with Cubberly, Blackmon, Kawecki, and Mandell being the other starters on the offensive line. Well, Wisconsin had a good 31-10 win, and they were able to move the ball offensively.Pass protection was a huge plus in this game, as true freshman Ryan Hopkins was kept clean for much of the game, allowing him to throw for 241 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start. After the game, head coach Luke Fickell had some strong words to say about Wilkins, who had been through a lot of adversity this season.“I thought he did a good job,” Fickell said about Wilkins on Monday. “There’s still room for growth, but I thought he played well. We rotated some at that position and gave Lucas [Simmons-Johannson] some snaps as well. “What stood out to me was not just what happened at left tackle, but how many different offensive linemen played. We had several guys rotating in and contributing, and that’s part of what happens late in the season when depth becomes critical.“I thought P.J.’s preparation last week was his best. His Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday practices were excellent. He’ll need another week like that and continue to build on it.”It’s a good sign that Wilkins had his best week of practice last week, and Wisconsin will need a strong finish from him as they look to close out the season with wins over Maryland, Purdue, and Minnesota. It hasn’t been the cleanest year for the transfer left tackle, but he’s got a chance to make a final impression with his new opportunity.