Wisconsin Badgers: Luke Fickell singles out PJ Wilkins as the lineman who needs a push
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Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell named four offensive line starters he likes after two games, and one he wants more from. Left tackle PJ Wilkins got the second message at Fickell’s Week 3 press conference.
Wisconsin ran for 233 yards against Western Illinois last weekend and allowed three pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. Against Notre Dame in the opener, the Badgers managed 67 rushing yards on 2.2 yards per carry.
Quarterback Colton Joseph has been sacked twice through two games. Both sacks came on Wisconsin’s final drive against the Irish.
Luke Fickell grades four Wisconsin offensive line starters
Eric Mateos is in his first season as Wisconsin’s offensive line coach. Physicality has not been the issue for his group, and Fickell extended that to the backups.
“There hasn’t been a lack of physicality,” Fickell said. “There hasn’t been a letdown, even if you pop on the second group.”
Fickell likes the current state of the line.
“I like where we are,” Fickell said. “I think there’s the makings of some things that I’ve not sure we’ve had.”
Four starters drew his praise by name: Kevin Heywood, Colin Cubberly, Stylz, and center Austin Kawecki.
“I love where Kevin Heywood is,” Fickell continued. “This is his second game; he missed all of camp, he missed most of last year. I love where Colin Cubberly is, growing from where he was last year. To be honest, I love where Stylz is, coming in from Division-II but doing a really good job.”
“I think Austin is kinda the centerpoint of that offense,” Fickell added. “He’s played a lot of ball, but recognizing that the way we do things and how we do ’em is gonna fall on his shoulders since he’s the apex of the offense.”
Heywood tore his ACL in the spring of 2025. Cubberly made seven starts as a freshman last season.
Kawecki transferred from Oklahoma State, where he made 12 starts in 2025. Eleven came at center and one came at right guard.
PJ Wilkins is the Wisconsin lineman Fickell wants pushed
The fifth starter got a different assessment.
“And then I’m not gonna lie, PJ (Wilkins), we have to push a little more,” Fickell added.
Wilkins transferred from Ole Miss and arrived with two years of eligibility remaining. He is listed at 6-foot-5 and 340 pounds.
His college career started before Wisconsin came at left guard. Wilkins started the first two games of 2025 there for Ole Miss before moving to a reserve role, finishing with 186 offensive snaps. At Charlotte, he redshirted in 2023 and made two starts at left guard in 2024.
He won the left tackle job during spring practice in Madison.
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