During spring practice, Luke Fickell and the University of Wisconsin football program realized that the Badgers would need additional offensive line depth before fall camp rolled around.
As we’ve witnessed during Fickell’s time here, whenever there’s a void, he and his staff are quick to address it and find the right fit.
After adding Vanderbilt offensive tackle Leyton Nelson from the transfer portal on Monday, the Wisconsin Badgers picked up another commitment from Illinois offensive lineman Joey Okla, who recently visited campus.
Okla, a Hartland, Wisconsin native, spent the last two seasons developing under former Wisconsin football head coach Bret Bielema at Illinois and was considered a three-star recruit in the 2022 cycle. According to the composite, Okla was also regarded as the No. 9 in-state product in that class and committed to the Illini over an offer from the Eastern Illinois Panthers.
The 6-foot-2, 320-pound interior offensive lineman appeared in one game during his time with the Fighting Illini and will still have three seasons of eligibility remaining as a member of the Wisconsin football team.
Okla, a former first-team all-state selection from his time at Arrowhead High School, will join the Wisconsin football program as a walk-on. He will compete with other interior linemen such as JP Benzschawel, James Durand, Collin Cubberly, and a handful of incoming freshmen for a spot in the Badgers two-deep this fall.
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