Badgers head coach Luke Fickell is confident that following an unusual transitional phase, the University of Wisconsin football team’s tight end room has found the right blend of talent it needs on offense.
When Fickell and his staff took over the program, it was evident that the Badgers’ tight-end room comprised individuals with comparable abilities. That’s because Wisconsin football had a defined offensive identity and expectations for the position under Paul Chryst, and they recruited to it.
Those skill sets didn’t quite harmonize with the team’s evolving offensive scheme last season. Collectively, the Badgers tight ends were targeted 44 times, catching 26 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns.
Nonetheless, Wisconsin football coaches have re-tooled that room and now feel that the variety of player types should help lead to production.
“We’ve got a variety now,” Fickell told reporters. “I think what we had had was pretty much a similar type of guys, and I think right now we do have some variety. We’ve got an older guy in Riley Nowakowski that I think can do it all. I think you got a younger guy in Tucker Ashcraft that played some last year, but I think the sky’s the limit. You got a guy like Jackson McGohan that’s a little bit different than those guys, is learning and is new, but gives a completely different skill set.
“You got your JT [Seagreaves] and you’ve got some of those other guys that are just still really trying to figure out where they fit in that mix. Are they a do-everything guy, a little bit more of a hybrid type of guy?”
After an unprecedented run on tight ends, the Badgers haven’t been able to find a true TE1 since Jake Ferguson went to the NFL. Ferguson’s departure left a production void the team has struggled to fill.
However, with the current mix of players, Wisconsin football hopes to turn the tide on their tight-end productivity woes. Ashcraft, who was thrust into a significant role as a freshman last season, catching eight passes for 86 yards and a touchdown, now benefits from valuable game experience.
Despite dealing with a hamstring injury this spring, Ashcraft should be among the top options at TE for position coach Nate Letton this fall.
The additions of true freshmen Grant Stec and Rob Booker II have injected some much-needed speed and explosiveness into the tight end room, addressing a notable priority for the Badgers’ coaching staff.
“Top to bottom, I think just our skill set playing down the field a little bit more has increased,” Letton told reporters. “We’ve got some new faces in there between Jackson McGohan and Rob Booker and Grant Stec that bring a little bit different element of athleticism than I think we’ve had in the past here, which is really good.
“But I think just overall comfortability for some of those guys that are returning in the system just creates confidence on the field, and you see some of that translate in the production.”
Senior Riley Nowakowski has taken the bulk of first-team reps for the Wisconsin football team throughout the spring. The converted fullback caught seven passes for 57 yards and scored a touchdown last season. He provides a versatile and assignment-sound option for the Badgers.
As the Wisconsin football program continues its offseason preparations, the tight end group is poised to play a more significant role in the offense. With a diverse mix of talent, the Badgers will have an intriguing position battle to monitor throughout fall camp, with multiple young options hoping to push for a shot at making a meaningful impact on the field.
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