The Wisconsin Badgers closed out their 2019 season with a 28-27 loss to Oregon in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
With the dust now settled, BadgerBlitz.com takes a look back at the season that was, breaking down the bright spots and low points at each position, with an eye on the future as well.
High Point: Jake Ferguson has a big performance against Illinois
It may have been Wisconsin's worst performance of the 2019 season, but Jake Ferguson had five receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown in a loss to Illinois. In a year where the redshirt sophomore was asked to carry a huge workload due to injuries, Ferguson was second on the team with 33 receptions for 407 yards and two touchdowns.
Another bright spot this fall was the emergence of Cormac Sampson, a converted offensive lineman. Used primarily as a blocking tight end, Sampson had a nice stretch towards the end of the season where he graded out very well, according to Pro Football Focus: 78.9 against Iowa, 91.2 against Nebraska and 84.4 against Purdue.
“[Left tackle] Cole Van Lanen and [center] Tyler Biadasz, they weren’t doing spring ball reps, and they said they needed an extra lineman," Sampson told BadgerBlitz.com in September. "I think Coach [Joe] Rudolph liked my blocking technique as a tight end, so he’s like, ‘Ah, go put that kid on the line. He’ll do well.’
“Then, now, there’s so many tight end injuries that I think they’re just like, 'OK this kid has been playing it for a year so he should be able to get back into the swing of things of tight end.'”
Low Point: Almost the entirety of fall camp
Fall camp was a difficult time for the tight ends coach Mickey Turner and his position group. Two of his expected top three tight ends were lost due to injury at a position that was already thin.
*UW announced redshirt junior Gabe Lloyd, who played significant reps during spring camp, was lost for the 2019 season after undergoing surgery for a right leg injury.
*Luke Benzschawel, who went down during fall camp, was downgraded to "out for rest of the 2019 season" in late September. The redshirt junior was expected to be the No. 2 tight end, alongside Ferguson.
*Zander Neuville was granted a sixth-year of eligibility but he "sustained another injury, one that means an end" in early September.
Pro Football Focus
2020 Snapshot
What To Watch In Spring Camp
Wisconsin was extremely thin at tight end in 2019 due of injuries. That forced Jake Ferguson to play a ton of snaps (898 of 981, to be exact). Cormac Sampson chipped in nicely as a blocking tight end, and his development will be key moving forward. Youngsters Jack Eschenbach, Hayden Rucci and Clay Cundiff have a big off-season in front of them with time in the two-deep seemingly wide open. Luke Benzschawel, Gabe Lloyd and Coy Wanner missed all of the 2019 season (injuries) and their status this spring is unknown. Three-star signee Cam Large will arrive early for camp with Cole Dakovich on his way this summer.
