The Wisconsin Badgers wrapped up their final open practice of fall camp on Saturday in a scrimmage format as they shift their focus to preparing for the upcoming season.
A key storyline throughout camp has been the injury to starting right tackle Riley Mahlman, who missed the second half of camp due to a lower leg injury. In his absence, the Badgers have rotated Kevin Heywood and Barrett Nelson at the tackle position.
Despite the missed time, the coaching staff has repeatedly downplayed the severity of Mahlman’s injury, though his absence has continued to linger.
After the final open practice, head coach Luke Fickell provided an update on the situation.
“I don’t think there’s any concern still with Riley Mahlman’s injury,” Fickell said Saturday. “I think he could have gone a little bit today, but we decided it wasn’t the best move. We feel good about where he’s at, but these next ten days will be really important for us.”
Fickell also noted that a few other key players were limited during the practice, including Jake Chaney and Hunter Wohler, as the coaching staff opted to give opportunities to other players in their positions.
In addition to Mahlman, outside linebacker Aaron Witt and inside linebacker Christian Alliegro were also limited toward the end of camp.
Fickell addressed their status as well, saying, “We need to figure that out over the next ten days. Aaron got dinged up earlier in camp, and Christian tweaked his hamstring during our last scrimmage in Platteville. We assume he’ll be fine next week, but today wasn’t the right time to push it. It’s about finding the balance between being smart and not overexerting them. That’s why the upcoming eight to nine days are critical for us.”
