Badgers offensive linemen partner with Mission BBQ
There is no better commercial pairing than beef with ... uh, more beef.
It was only a matter of time in the dawn of "name, image and likeness" that a bunch of University of Wisconsin offensive linemen wind up connected with some form of deliciousness. Though Red Robin was perhaps the early favorite for such a pact, it appears the UW offensive line group has forged a partnership with Mission BBQ.
In a photo on Twitter, quarterback Graham Mertz sported gear with his new trademarked personal logo. Another photo shows offensive linemen Kayden Lyles, Josh Seltzner, Logan Bruss, Tyler Beach, Blake Smithback, Jack Nelson and Joe Tippmann standing on the back of a Mission BBQ flatbed truck.
It's all part of the changed NCAA landscape that allows athletes to make money participating in ventures such as these . The big fellas on the other side of the ball are getting some love too, with Matt Henningsen signing on with Degree Deodorant.
Mission BBQ lists locations in 16 states on its website, four in Wisconsin, including Madison, Kenosha, Brookfield and West Allis.
It's unclear exactly what the specifics of the agreement entail but, clearly, the company recognizes the potential of partnering with offensive linemen. One of those other states is Ohio, where UW legend and future NFL Hall of Famer Joe Thomas is a partner in two locations.
Another of those states is Indiana, where Notre Dame's offensive line just signed on.
The Badgers, of course, have a history of producing star offensive linemen, and it's only getting better with a series of four- or five-star offensive linemen in recent recruiting classes, including incoming five-star prospect Nolan Rucci and four-star Riley Mahlman, plus 2022 commit and four-star prospect Joe Brunner.
Five-star prospect Logan Brown (incoming class of 2019) and four-star Trey Wedig (2020) remain fascinating prospects at tackle, though starters Bruss and Beach — both of whom were given preseason All-Big Ten mention from Pro Football Focus — return. Fourstar Jack Nelson (2020) figures into the starting picture this season.