Badgers' Riley Mahlman dubbed top-10 offensive tackle in the country

Pro Football Focus is high on Mahlman heading into 2024.

Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman Riley Mahlman (71) answers questions during Wisconsin Badgers football media day at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. - Mike De Sisti / The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Mike De Sisti / The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Redshirt junior offensive tackle Riley Mahlman is coming off his best season in a Badgers uniform. Last year he earned a career-high 74.4 Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade, playing a career-high 944 snaps. Now PFF calls Mahlman "a top-10 player at the position ahead of the 2024 season."

Mahlman was a highly-touted high school prospect in the class of 2021. 247Sports ranked him as a four-star recruit and the No. 64 player in the country. Hailing from Lakeville, Minnesota, he chose Wisconsin over top offers from Ohio State, Nebraska and his hometown Gophers.

He played 12 snaps as a true freshman in 2021, then redshirted for the season. He made six starts the following year but was shut down for six games due to injury. He played 397 snaps and earned a 58.1 PFF grade.

The 6-foot-8 right tackle took a significant leap in 2023 and started 13 games for the Badgers. According to PFF's wins above average metric, he was the sixth-most valuable tackle in the nation.

Wisconsin’s Riley Mahlman towers over defensive linemen at 6-8.

Uses that size to his advantage in the run game, as his 73.1 RB grade was a top-15 mark in the Power Five.

RT #71 here opening a lane for a Braelon Allen TD
pic.twitter.com/PljsDXEnUy

— Max Chadwick (@MaxChadwickCFB) February 25, 2024

"It starts up front. Those two cornerstones with Jack (Nelson) and Riley (Mahlman) both have made incredible strides," head coach Luke Fickell told reporters last week.

Heading into 2024, PFF ranks Mahlman as the No. 8 returning offensive tackle in college football. Between Joe Thomas, Ryan Ramcyzk and Rob Havenstein, Wisconsin has become known for producing NFL talent at the tackle position. With another big season, Mahlman could be the next Wisconsin lineman hearing his name called early in the NFL draft.