Wisconsin will have a different offensive line coach for the fifth time in six seasons.
Luke Fickell has reportedly fired A.J. Blazek after two years and will replace him with former Arkansas offensive line coach Eric Mateos.
I can confirm that Wisconsin is moving on from offensive line coach AJ Blazek.
He was with the Badgers for two seasons. Wisconsin will be on its third offensive line coach under Luke Fickell and fifth since 2021.
— Jesse Temple (@jessetemple) December 10, 2025
The Badgers running game has struggled for much of Fickell’s tenure, including this year when they ran for just 116.7 yards per game, their fewest since 1991. They also allowed 27 sacks, which ranked 13th in the Big Ten.
Mateos enters the picture after two seasons at Arkansas, where the Razorbacks ranked third in the SEC in yards per game (191.9) on the ground and ninth in the country in yards per carry (5.7). He is also familiar with Wisconsin offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes, with the two having worked together at BYU and Baylor.
This will be the third different offensive line coach for Fickell, who fired Jack Bicknell Jr after just one season.
