Most Important Players For Wisconsin in 2026: No. 13: P.J. Wilkins/Lucas Simmons

MADISON, Wis. — Looking ahead to the 2026 season, Badger Blitz is counting down the 26 most important players for Wisconsin this fall. We continue with junior left tackles Lucas Simmons and P.J. Wilkins, who will battle it out for a starting job in fall camp… 2025 Rewind As a redshirt sophomore, Wilkins appeared in 14 games for the Rebels before leaving the team in the midst of its playoff run. He received a Pro Football Focus grade of 59.9. Wilkins was charged with one penalty and just three pressures allowed. Wilkins began his career at Charlotte, where he played in 11 games for the 49ers during the 2024 season, including two starts. Simmons played in four games for FSU in 2025, totalling 81 snaps and grading out as an 82.5 pass blocker and 74.3 run blocker, according to Pro Football Focus. The Sweden-born tackle only played three snaps in 2024, and did not play at all during the Seminoles’ 13-0 2023 season as a true freshman. Simmons is still considered a high-ceiling prospect with two years of eligibility remaining. Simmons also took visits to Georgia, Georgia Tech, and James Madison. The former four-star recruit committed to Wisconsin on his official visit. “I had planned to go home to think everything out,” Simmons told Badger Blitz. “But, once I went there, it felt different. I just got that feeling. There wasn’t any need to wait.” Why Simmons and Wilkins Are No. 13 Normally, the left tackle spot would rank higher. However, Wisconsin is pretty mobile at quarterback this season, led by Colton Joseph. Should Deuce Adams or Ryan Hopkins see action, the Badgers still have the ability to break down defenses with their legs. Also, neither Simmons nor Wilkins have ever started a game in their careers at the power-four level. Wilkins does have two starts while at Charlotte in 2024. However, you can’t undersell the importance of the left tackle position when it comes to protecting the blindside of a quarterback. The Badgers are also coming off a season in which they gave up a sack on 9.33 percent of their dropbacks, which was one of the worst marks in the country. Simmons and Wilkins have to help UW improve in this spot. The Badger left tackles also surrendered a whopping 19 total pressures in 2025. Among players who started games, no other single position had more pressures allowed. What They Said For most of spring ball, Wilkins had held down the starting left tackle spot. A converted guard, Wilkins has been an interior lineman throughout his collegiate career. “I just thought he was a little out of position, maybe, for the way his body is built,” offensive line coach Eric Mateos said. “He’s not a 6-7 guy, but he’s got extremely long arms and long legs. To me, when I think you’re a long-legged or high hips guy, I think it’s hard to play guard, because things just happen so fast. The processing speed, how fast you’ve got to get your cleats in the ground, how fast you’ve got to kind of redirect. “I just felt like, knowing P.J., I thought his body and skillset were more of a fit for tackle. Now, people see a big, wide-hipped, big chest guy, and they just assume that means guard. I don’t really look at it that way. I think it’s, ‘What’s the arm length? How long are the legs? To me, that more determines does a person have the skill set to play tackle or not? He certainly does.” A native of Sweden, Simmons was recruited by Mateos out of high school. “He’s very honest,” said Simmons. “It’s easy to say all the right stuff to a recruit. Some recruits just want the flash and find out what they can do for them, while avoiding the fact that it’s going to be difficult. “He was always honest. When I told him I was going to Florida State, there was no, ‘You’re making the wrong decision, ’ or ‘You suck, you should have come here.’”