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. 26 -- Ray Ball, left guard
Why he's No. 26
Ball certainly has waited his turn and will enter the season as one of only two fifth-year seniors on the offensive line, along with starting left tackle Tyler Marz. Ball's value to the team is made even greater because of the overall lack of offensive-line depth, which showed itself quite often during spring practice.
Though Ball has never started a game at Wisconsin, he remains one of the most experienced players on the line. The 6-foot-7, 324-pounder from Columbus, Ohio, saw action in all 14 games last season and has played in 31 for his career. Like many on this list of 30 most important Badgers players, it's time for Ball to take the next step in his development and become a consistent force on an offensive line that will need its starters to remain healthy.
Expectations for 2015
If there is any game in Ball's career to use as a baseline for what is possible, just take a look at last season's Outback Bowl performance against Auburn. When center Dan Voltz sustained a fractured left leg early in the game, left guard Dallas Lewallen slid over to center, and Ball took Lewallen's spot at left guard. Ball then performed admirably given the high stakes and limited practice reps in a game that required overtime for the Badgers to win.
Ball said then that he had prepared all season for a moment like that. And though it was sometimes difficult to wait for an opportunity, he stayed mentally and physically ready for when former offensive line coach T.J. Woods would call his name. When his time arrived on Jan. 1, he made the most of it. If nothing else, it should provide Ball with a measure of confidence heading into his final season.
One of the biggest keys to a successful season for Ball is to remain on the field. He toughed out a torn meniscus injury that he suffered late last season against Minnesota. And he missed the spring game this season because of an unspecified injury. But this Wisconsin team will need his veteran leadership because he's already played in several big games. He played in the 2012 Big Ten championship against Nebraska and the 2013 Rose Bowl against Stanford. Plus, he's been around since 2011 -- through three head coaches -- when he took a redshirt season as a freshman.
What would they do without him?
The spring game offered a glimpse of what could happen without Ball's services. He and Voltz did not play in that game because of injuries, which shuffled the entire line. Redshirt freshman right guard Michael Deiter took Voltz's spot at center, and Walker Williams slid into the right guard spot.
When Ball went down, Williams moved to left guard, and redshirt freshman Beau Benzschawel then took the starting right guard spot. At this stage, however, there aren't many more offensive linemen on the roster that coaches likely would feel comfortable with using in a game.
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