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. 11 -- Tyler Marz, left tackle
Why he's No. 11
Marz moves up from No. 17 on this list a year ago to No. 11. And he really could be ranked higher considering his importance and experience on the offensive line. For a third consecutive season, he'll be in charge of protecting the quarterback's blind side.
Sometimes it can be tough to quantify the value of an offensive lineman because he does not rack up noticeable statistics. So, let's consider what the entire offense was able to accomplish with Marz at left tackle. He was a part of two of the three most prolific offensive seasons in school history -- a school-record 480.8 yards per game in 2013 and the No. 3 all-time mark of 468.9 yards per game in 2014. Last season, UW also set the school record with 320.1 rushing yards per game. Granted, tailback Melvin Gordon had much to do with those numbers. But so did Marz and the rest of the line opening holes for Gordon.
Marz has started 27 consecutive games at left tackle. The only other player on the Badgers' top offensive-line unit to start any games is center Dan Voltz (19 starts).
Expectations for 2015
Marz earned honorable mention all-Big Ten last season, and it seems reasonable to believe he could be a first-teamer in 2015. Last year's first-team tackles were Iowa's Brandon Scherff and Wisconsin's Rob Havenstein. Both were NFL draft picks.
At 6-foot-5 and 321 pounds, Marz has the size and strength to be a dominant left tackle. It is quite a luxury to have a player that has appeared in 37 games and been through practically every situation allowable in college football. Marz remaining healthy will be a big factor to the team's success in the running game and the passing game, particularly because of the overall lack of depth on the line entering the season.
What would they do without him?
Any type of serious injury to Marz could be catastrophic for Wisconsin's offense. There are a number of players battling for backup spots, but none have had any meaningful playing time. Jacob Maxwell, Jon Dietzen and Logan Schmidt could be candidates, as well as Beau Benzschawel and Brett Connors.
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