Right tackle Ethan Wiederkehr is back for a sixth year at Northwestern and his mastery of the position has been crucial for the line's strong start.

The headliner of this year's offensive line has been prodigal left tackle Peter Skoronski, and rightfully so. Skoronski is arguably the best tackle in college football and a projected first-round NFL draft pick. But Northwestern fans know, as proven by Rashawn Slater in 2019, a monster left tackle doesn't always guarantee a team's success.

In order to build a dominant offensive line and a successful offense, it takes a village. There might not be a more important second member of that village than Wiederkehr. He has honed his craft at Northwestern for more than half a decade now, working with stellar offensive line coach Kurt Anderson every step of the way since Anderson joined the staff in 2018.

"He's been awesome," Anderson said. "That's the beautiful thing about being here at Northwestern and being a part of (head coach Pat Fitzgerald)'s staff. You have stability, and it gives you an opportunity as a coach to see things through."

Anderson has watched Wiederkehr's progression first-hand over the years..

"To watch him go from being a novice to essentially having his master's in O-line play, it's cool to see that growth," Anderson said. "And it gives you more sleep at night.

"As an offensive line coach, there's many sleepless nights because you're thinking about how you can simplify or how you can adjust your teaching techniques to make sure that you're prepared and successful come game day. But when you have guys like [Wiederkehr], you know you can have intelligent football conversations because they have mastered their craft. You get a few more Z's at night."

Wiederkehr even looks the part of the elder statesman of the O-line, with a head he shaves bald. Anderson jokes that when the native New Yorker entered the program, way back in 2017, he had a full head of hair.

"Now, he does not have a full head of hair," said Anderson with a laugh.

Wiederkehr was already a fifth-year senior in 2021, but the disappointment of that season combined with the opportunity for an extra year of eligibility due to COVID, brought him back for his sixth campaign.

"Having that season last year, 3-9, that's not how I want to end my career here," Wiederkehr said after practice on Tuesday. "Not when I know I have more in me. And I know that this team has more in them, and we're showing it now."

The show started against Nebraska on Aug. 27 in Dublin, Ireland.

In 2021, the ground game struggled against Nebraska, generating only 37 yards in a 56-7 Cornhusker rout. In 2022, the script flipped. The O-line paved the way for 214 rushing yards and a 31-28 victory on foreign soil. Quarterback Ryan Hilinski wasn't sacked in 38 passing attempts and threw for 314 yards and two touchdowns.

For the first time under Anderson, Northwestern's offensive line collectively graded out at over 90%. Wiederkehr talked about the realization of the work that he and the OL room put in against Nebraska.

"Going into that first game, there's usually some details or errors here and there," Wiederkehr said. "But we were locked in all camp. All summer, we were getting together, so it's nice to see the outcome."

Wiederkehr pointed to preparation and stamina as the two key areas where he feels his experience pushes him to another level.

"I think that aspect comes when it's play 12, or 15, when we're getting long drives and you're getting tired," Wiederkehr said. "Some of the things I've seen in defenses, and knowing our play calls, it's just kind of second nature. I see and feel things differently now."

The offensive line was a force in Week 0, and that wasn't just a credit to the accomplished tackles. They have experience throughout the entire line, with junior Josh Priebe returning as a starter from 2021, junior Charlie Schmidt taking over at center full time, and senior Conrad Rowley stepping up at right guard.

This isn't a fresh faced or inexperienced crew, but Wiederkehr remains the room's elder statesman and a key resource for Anderson and the coaching staff.

"When [linemen] have a peer put their arm around you and be like, 'I know what you're feeling. I know what you're going through, I've been there. This is what Coach Anderson saying, this is what he means, this is what he's looking for your improvement for tomorrow, just focus in on the one thing and get better, whatever it may be.'

"He's got that presence in the room to be able to calm the room," Anderson said.

Wiederkehr's leadership and drive was evident when he was asked about looking ahead at Duke and the rest of the season.

"We had a good start," Wiederkehr said. "But it doesn't mean anything if we don't continue to climb."