Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman makes prestigious preseason watch list

Wisconsin offensive lineman Jake Renfro (57) is shown during spring football practice Wednesday, April 23, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A day after suffering a knee injury at practice Thursday, Wisconsin Badgers center Jake Renfro received some much better news, off the field.

The Rimington Trophy released its watch list for the 2025 season, and Renfro was one of seven Big Ten centers to earn the recognition.

the heart of our O-line 💪@JakeRenfro_ is on the @rimingtontrophy Watch List!#OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/84DwjkMWWp

— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) August 8, 2025

The Rimington is awarded each year to the best center in college football.

A Big Ten center has won the award in five of the last six years, including Wisconsin's Tyler Biadasz in 2019.

According to PFF, Renfro is the fourth-highest graded center returning to the conference this season. Last year, he gave up one sack, one hit and eight hurries on just under 400 pass blocking snaps,

He transferred to Wisconsin in 2023, following head coach Luke Fickell from Cincinnati.

The Badgers are counting on him as a veteran leader in the middle of the offensive line, but his knee injury has him listed as week-to-week.

Injury update: C Jake Renfro is to week to week with a lower body injury suffered during yesterday’s practice, according to Wisconsin. No significant structural damage and have not ruled him out for the opener Aug. 28.

— Jake Kocorowski (@JakeKoco) August 8, 2025

So far, he has not been ruled out for the season-opener against Miami (OH), but he has only three weeks to recover before regular season action starts.

He'll need to be 100 percent and play as many games as he can if he hopes to be the latest Badgers center to win the Rimington.

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