Wisconsin football class of 2026 commit Benjamin Novak worked out with Denver Broncos’ All-Pro offensive tackle Garett Bolles this past weekend. 

“It was a pleasure to work with [Bolles] this weekend!” Novak wrote on X, “Thank you for the amazing opportunity!”

Novak, a three-star interior offensive lineman, was the first player to commit to Wisconsin football’s class of 2026 cohort. He did so on Oct. 7, 2024, essentially seven months before the summer recruiting window picked up full steam. He officially visited Madison the weekend of June 5, solidifying his pledge to Luke Fickell and the program.

Despite receiving offers from the programs including Indiana, Louisville and Kentucky, Novak chose the Badgers after being recruited by offensive line coach A.J. Blazek. 247Sports’ composite ranking considers the Merrillville, Indiana, native as the No. 1,079 overall prospect in the class, the No. 89 interior offensive lineman and the No. 16 player from his home state.

His workout with Bolles, an eight-year NFL veteran, should encourage Badger fans. After being selected with the No. 20 overall pick of the 2017 NFL draft, Bolles has started in all 116 of his appearances with the Broncos. He accompanied tackles Jack Conklin, David Bakhtiari and Trent Williams on the NFL 2020 All-Pro squad.

Given Wisconsin’s strong lineage at offensive line, a position that has witnessed Joe Thomas, Travis Frederick, Kevin Zeitler, Rob Havenstein and Ryan Ramczyk graduate travel through the program, Novak’s development into a perennial starter is certainly on the board. While he’s only a three-star recruit, his enthusiasm and commitment to play for UW could bode well, especially given new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes’ ground-and-pound philosophy.

UW’s class of 2026 currently ranks No. 52 in the nation with 13 players committed. Outside of Novak, three-star Maddox Cochrane is the only offensive lineman among those 13 commitments.

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