MADISON, Wis. — It sounds simple to say that offensive linemen require knee bend and crouched stances before the snap, leading to lower-body explosion for speed, power and mobility after the snap. But those basic principles were not so simple last season for Jon Dietzen. Every time Dietzen broke Wisconsin’s huddle and lined up for a play, he knew how limited he would be — a shell of his true self, unable to showcase his full capabilities.
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Dietzen felt pinching in both hip joints whenever he crouched and couldn’t quite generate the force and foot speed he wanted. He gritted his way through games anyway and learned to live with daily discomfort. His pain never took a play off.
“It sucked,” Dietzen said. “But when you have four guys that have been absolutely busting their butts to do well for you, it’s not that hard to look at them and know you can do a little bit more than you think you can.”
Dietzen, who had every reason to make excuses, suited up in 13 of 14 games and made 12 starts for the Badgers at left guard. In retrospect, it was a near miracle he played as much as he did. Dietzen suffered from labrum tears in each hip, which required offseason surgery.
“Jon is the toughest person I’ve ever met,” Badgers tackle Cole Van Lanen said. “He’s battled through a lot, and I hope he can stay injury-free this year. He’s a hell of an athlete, a strong athlete. He’s a really good player, so we need him on this team.”
As Wisconsin pushes through Week 2 of fall camp, Dietzen is practicing at full strength for the first time in a long time. Last fall, Dietzen was held out on multiple days during camp after he underwent ankle surgery the previous offseason, and injury issues followed him the rest of the way. Dietzen hopes that version of himself is gone for good.
The question now is whether he can stay healthy enough to retain his starting spot at a new position on the offensive line.
Dietzen played in 23 games with 20 starts at left guard the past two seasons. But when Michael Deiter opted to return for his senior season and bypass the NFL Draft, it was clear Dietzen would need to find a new position as a redshirt junior. Deiter played left tackle last season out of necessity but came back to play on the interior because that’s where he projected in the pros.
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It didn’t take long for Badgers offensive coordinator and O-line coach Joe Rudolph to suggest to Dietzen that he try left tackle.
“I had seen enough of him that I thought if Jon’s healthy, I thought he had the feet to be able to do it,” Rudolph said. “Now, it’s a big curve. There’s a lot you’ve got to put together before the season. But I know that he has the physical attributes to be able to do it, and he’s shown that so far. I think as long as we keep him healthy, he’ll be able to help us.”
Added Dietzen: “(Rudolph) said, ‘That’s probably the only thing you need to hear is that it’s going to be difficult for you to know you can do it.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, exactly.’ As long as I can hear someone try to tell me I can’t really do something, I’m probably going to do my best to do it.”
Wisconsin’s offensive line is considered one of the best in the country. Four of the five starting spots are guaranteed, with Deiter at left guard, Tyler Biadasz at center, Beau Benzschawel at right guard and David Edwards at right tackle. Deiter, Benzschawel and Edwards each earned All-America honors last season, and Biadasz reached freshman All-America status. The only spot up for grabs is at left tackle between Dietzen and Van Lanen. Given the number of returning offensive players, it is one of the few position battles of intrigue this fall.
Rudolph has maintained a consistent left tackle rotation between Dietzen and Van Lanen, a redshirt sophomore, which continued during practice Thursday. There were instances during 11-on-11 drills in which Van Lanen played left tackle and Dietzen slid over to right tackle while Edwards rested. Rudolph has tried to cross-train players at multiple spots on the line. On several other occasions, Dietzen and Van Lanen rotated every couple of plays at left tackle.
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“I think the way we’ve been approaching our reps this camp so far has been a little bit different because we’re trying to stay on top of my situation I’ve got with injuries, trying to make sure I don’t end up where I was last season with fighting it the whole time,” Dietzen said. “So we’re trying to make sure I’m not taking too many reps but I’m getting everything that I need.
“Having Cole be able to rotate and us having kind of a three-man rotation going with the first group at the tackle spots is pretty unique I think. I doubt a lot of people are doing something like that. I think it’s actually going to be really good. Being able to flip things in your head and being able to know things on both sides of the line is only going to help you.”
Rudolph hasn’t ruled out the idea of rotating players at left tackle during the season, although it is ideal for the same group to play to build continuity. Last season, Wisconsin was forced into a rotation of Dietzen and Jason Erdmann because Dietzen couldn’t play a full game. Rudolph noted he relied on Dietzen to inform the staff when he wasn’t physically able to perform.
“I think it speaks to the communication,” Rudolph said. “He got used to doing that in practice and the way they would work. We just want to do a great job of keeping him healthy and seeing the best Jon Dietzen out there. What the kid brings to this program and this team, he’s awesome.”
The shift from guard to tackle has been an educational football experience for the 6-foot-6, 323-pound Dietzen. He said he has relied on Deiter, who moved last season from guard to tackle, for tips or keywords before a play. One of the areas Deiter said he initially needed to understand was how to handle quicker outside linebackers in space. Dietzen noted there is a major shift in thought process from blocking 6-2, 342-pound nose guard Olive Sagapolu in practice to handling 6-4, 236-pound outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel. Dietzen already has had some important 1-on-1 pass rushing battles in practice.
“Especially in the pass rush, completely different worlds,” Dietzen said. “Everything is a lot quicker. But it’s fun. It actually gives another side to things I knew about football.”
Dietzen sat out during spring practice to recover from surgery, which provided Van Lanen with an opportunity for most reps at left tackle. Van Lanen said those practices allowed him to enter fall camp with more confidence in his ability, and he has looked sharp so far.
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Rudolph said he has tried to help Dietzen identify as many defensive formations and looks as possible to better prepare him to play tackle. Sometimes, that can mean a brief walk-through after practice or showing him why things didn’t work during film review. During practice Thursday, defensive lineman Aaron Vopal beat Dietzen off the edge for a sack of quarterback Alex Hornibrook. Dietzen walked back to the huddle visibly upset with himself.
“There’s a learning curve to the position,” Rudolph said. “It’s getting comfortable in a game when everything is happening of being able to see and assess the edge and communicate it down. I think it’s going to be growth every day. I think Michael being next to him will really help him. Or Cole being in the game. … I don’t know what the curve is. But it’s mental as much as physical, and I think we’ll get there.”
Dietzen said he began to feel like himself again during summer workouts: athletic, strong, confident. He no longer endured pain when he lined up in a stance and didn’t have to sacrifice his footwork and blocking ability. That feeling alone has him excited entering the season.
So does the chance to try a new position and help one of the nation’s best offensive lines live up to its billing.
“Right away I was actually really interested in it,” Dietzen said. “It was kind of a new challenge, something that keeps you chomping at the bit. Now I get home, I want to watch that tackle film probably a little bit more than I would have wanted to watch guard stuff that I might have seen hundreds and hundreds of times. It kind of gives you a new appreciation for seeing things a different way.”
