Just about everything that the Badgers have done since the 1990s has been predicated on having a mammoth offensive line full of maulers that clear the way for various running backs to win Doak Walker Awards before everyone gets drafted into the NFL. 2021 4-star OT Riley Mahlman (Lakeville, Minn.) out of Lakeville South High School is another link in the lengthy chain of talented UW offensive linemen.
Mahlman missed a few games this season for his No. 1 team in both the Metro Top 10 and the Associated Press state poll, but Lakeville South still finished the year 8-0 and could lay claim to the best team in the state mantle (there was no state tournament this year, so we’ll never really know).