MADISON – Wisconsin needed to sign Austin Kawecki.
“The most important thing we did was get him,” Badgers offensive line coach Eric Mateos said.
While UW fans might feel quarterback Colton Joseph or running back Abu Sama were at the top of the team’s needs from the transfer portal, there is no disputing that adding someone like Kawecki was a high priority, too.
The Badgers had a core of redshirt sophomores to build its 2026 line around but needed a veteran presence in the middle. UW puts a lot on the plate of its centers, and in Kawecki, the Badgers believed they had someone who could handle the role despite being new to the team.
It’s hard to argue with the results so far. The 6-foot-4, 310-pound graduate student from Oklahoma State has been a fixture with the No. 1 unit and is providing the impact that was expected of him.
“Highly intelligent,” offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes said. “In any offense, but in particular one like ours, I think we ask as much of the center position as anybody does in terms of making calls, checking protections and getting a lot of people on the same page.
“And then just from a physical standpoint he’s really strong. He’s quick. He’s athletic enough that he can pull, so I think he’s one of those guys that can kind of do everything that you’d like for somebody to do at that spot.”
Kawecki is providing stability as UW deals with injuries
Kawecki’s presence has been especially important during fall camp.
Right guard Emerson Mandell (foot) and right tackle Kevin Heywood (right leg) are out with uncertain timelines for a return. To compensate, the Badgers have shuffled their units. Tackle Lucas Simmons-Johansson has moved into Heywood’s spot. Blake Cherry and Stylz Blackmon are filling in for Mandell.
In each case, there is a transition to manage. Simmons-Johansson hasn’t played before on the right side. The limited experience Cherry gained at Arkansas last season was on the left side of the line at guard and tackle. Blackmon played mostly on the left side at the college level and is making the jump from Division II.
The relationship Mateos has with his center is akin to what an offensive coordinator has with the quarterback. Mateos believes that connection allows for a streamlining of communication that can help less experienced players.
“For example, if Blake Cherry or Kevin Heywood don’t quite understand something that I’m saying, it doesn’t mean that they’re dumb, it just means maybe it hasn’t come up in their careers before,” Mateos explained. “(If) I have a veteran center who’s been in a lot of wars and is smart, I can maybe just tell him, and I don’t have to tell everybody else, and then I don’t have other guys thinking about too many things.”
Kawecki, who was recruited by Grimes and Mateos when the two were at Baylor, comes to the Badgers after they experienced a revolving door at the position due to injuries and ineffective play.
UW started four players at the position in 2025. Jake Renfro, the 2024 starter, was limited to four games due to injury before having season-ending surgery after the eighth game. The Badgers never found anyone to fill his shoes, shuffling through Davis Heinzen (six starts), Kerry Kodanko (one) and redshirt freshman Ryan Cory (one).
The hope is that Kawecki is a fixture in the lineup and that there is another level to his game that can be brought out by experience. Last season was his first getting significant playing time. He started the season at right guard before playing center in Oklahoma State’s final 11 games.
Kawecki wants to help UW restore its culture
UW had Kawecki evaluated early in the portal process. According to Grimes, he was one of the few players the Badgers liked that was available.
“I think just getting back to the culture and the relationships were big to me,” Kawecki said. “I also knew Mateos and Grimes from high school (recruiting) cycle, so I think just having those familiar faces was really good for me.
“But I think just their eagerness to get back to the Wisconsin culture (was key). They want to be tough, nasty, and disciplined. Just getting back to that, just running the ball, just seemed really right up my alley.”
Kawecki made an immediate impact on the line leading up to spring ball with his quick grasp of the offense. Some of the principles are similar to what was run at Oklahoma State, so he brings that knowledge but also comes with an edge.
Like his teammates who were with UW last season, Kawecki played through a tough season in ’25. Oklahoma State fired long-time head coach Mike Gundy after the third game and finished the season with 11 straight losses.
That season left a “sour taste” in his mouth, Kawecki said. He is working to making 2026 better.
“I’m just trying to leave everything out there on the field. This is my last year,” he said. “I just think giving everything I got, leaving no regrets behind, just being fast, being physical, not giving up effort. I think I’ll just go from there and rub off on those other guys.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin needed a veteran on the O-line. Kawecki has been ideal fit.
Reporting by Mark Stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mark Stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
