Most Important Badgers No. 24: Hayden Biegel

Wisconsin Badgers beat writer Jesse Temple will be analyzing the 30 most important players to the Badgers' success in the 2015 season. Check back each weekday to see the latest player on the list.

Note: This is not a list of the team's 30 best players or a series about past success, but rather which of them means the most to how Wisconsin will fare this year. Criteria such as depth at that player's position, general expectations and overall importance of that player having a good season are all highly considered. The list does not include incoming freshmen because their potential impact is unknown at this time.

No. 24 -- Hayden Biegel, right tackle

Why he's No. 24

Biegel, a 6-foot-6, 303-pound redshirt sophomore from Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., has the difficult task of trying to replace former Badger Rob Havenstein, who was a second-round draft pick of the St. Louis Rams.

Havenstein, a consensus first-team all-Big Ten selection last season, matched a school record with 54 career games played and started his final 41 games at right tackle over the last three seasons. He provided a voice of leadership for the offense and made sure very few defensive players escaped his grasp and squeezed into the backfield.

Biegel doesn't have the experience Havenstein had, but he is ready to embrace the challenge of occupying an important role on the team.

"I've just got to take what I learned from him and critique whatever I've learned, stay lower on guys," Biegel said. "Not everything that he did I can necessarily do. I have to learn my own ways, too."

Expectations for 2015

Biegel was one of the more consistent offensive linemen during Wisconsin's spring practice session. He has bided his time in the program and targeted the 2015 season opener against Alabama, knowing he would have a chance to be the team's starting right tackle.

Wisconsin offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Joe Rudolph said Biegel played with "a true toughness" but still had to focus on the small details to perfect his craft. Those details, according to Biegel, include being more patient in the pass game and keeping his feet in the run game.

"I appreciate the way Hayden works," Badgers head coach Paul Chryst said. "I think he's done some good things. I think probably across the board on the offensive line, really a lot of spots on offense, it's the consistency that we're not where we want to be. But I appreciate the way that Hayden goes about it and does some good things. That part's been good for him this spring."

What would they do without him?

Wisconsin has a few reserves who could contribute if Biegel sustained some type of an injury, but he showed himself to be a cut above the rest of the right tackle prospects. It's possible Walker Williams, who played left guard and right guard during the spring, could step in. Young players Beau Benzchawel, Jacob Maxwell and George Panos could fill out Wisconsin's two-deep roster and vie for playing time. Plus, there are two incoming freshmen who could be in the mix as well at tackle with David Moorman and Kevin Estes.

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