2021 Wisconsin Fall Camp Preview: Tight ends, fullbacks crucial to offense

In early August, Wisconsin will open fall camp in preparation for the 2021 season opener against Penn State.

You know what that means -- position previews.

Doubling up on the rooms in this latest post -- Paul Chryst's offensive scheme loves its tight end and fullbacks. Both positions require a variety of skill sets from the players in those respective groups, and the current crop on the 2021 roster certainly appear to fit those criteria.

Tight end Jake Ferguson is already on the Mackey Award watch list -- an honor given to "most outstanding collegiate tight end," according to its website -- and behind him sit several players whose attributes complement each other in a way that could diversify the offensive attack.

John Chenal returns to Wisconsin and will look to fill a more prominent role at fullback with Mason Stokke off to the NFL's Carolina Panthers. Quan Easterling appeared solid in open practices to reporters in the spring, and his development will be key to the group as well.

Position-by position previews: Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide receivers |

Ferguson leads this group of tight ends and can be thought of as the complete package at his position. The senior led the team in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns in 2020 (30 for 305 and four, respectively). Along with posing a prime threat in the passing game -- especially on third downs -- he also displayed his blocking skill set over the course of the last three seasons.

Ferguson told BadgerBlitz.com during Big Ten Media Days that his big focus for him was his body in terms of getting stronger in the weight room and getting faster. He also mentioned that the younger players in Mickey Turner's room "made great steps."

Ferguson later explained that "every guy can do at least one thing, and they're different, which is awesome to see."

"This spring ball, a lot of guys stepped up," Ferguson said on July 23. "Jaylan [Franklin], Clay Cundiff, [Jack] Eschenbach. I mean, they were running slants split out, and it's like, 'What is going on?' There was a point where we had four tight ends on the field in one play, and we're just messing around because we could see what can these guys do.

"I mean, they were getting it done. They were making big plays, and nothing makes me more excited than that. Because I know when I'm gone, I know they're gonna handle it real well, probably better than I have. It's really fun to watch."

Ferguson stated last week that Eschenbach -- a walk-on who caught two passes for 22 yards and a touchdown last season -- "is gonna play, be a freak athlete." The upperclassmen also called out how his 6-foot-6, 247-pound teammate hit almost 22 miles per hour sprinting during conditioning as well [writer's note: Ferguson said he hit 20 miles per hour.].

Turner told reporters on April 16 that Eschenbach now has an ability to become a contributor on offense after receiving reps on special teams.

"I see a great maturity in him," Turner said. "He's approaching it like a veteran, like a guy that's his age, so he's probably put as much effort as anybody in the group or, you could ask anybody on the team, he's put as much effort in this offseason. So I'm excited about 'Esch.'"

After Ferguson, Hayden Rucci played the most snaps out of all the tight ends, according to Pro Football Focus. The third-year Badger graded out at 60.4 per the site in 173 plays.

Rucci, the former four-star recruit from Pennsylvania, told reporters in mid-April that he was up around the mid-260s this past winter. He also believes his blocking is an attribute that is different from the others in the room.

"I'm on the heavier side of the room, so I think that definitely helps," Rucci said, "but right now I think that's the the biggest aspect of my game while still trying to work on routes and pass catching. But definitely, I'd say my blocking."

Cundiff joined Rucci as the two tight ends in the 2019 class. Turner mentioned in mid-April that the two are transitioning from being young players who are "just excited to kind of do what they can," according to the assistant, to being those who want to make an impact on the field for the offense.

Turner noted that class was the one who dealt with no spring practices in 2020, but said in the spring that "it's been fun to see them kind of cut it loose." Now comes consistency with those two.

"I've seen flashes in both of them," Turner said, "and you got to see Hayden a little bit last year in games doing it where it's like, 'OK, we can win with that performance, but can you do it play in and play out and kind of raise yourself to that standard that a guy like Ferguson sets?'"

Jaylan Franklin transitioned from outside linebacker to tight end, and despite missing some time in the spring due to a hamstring injury, appeared fluid in his route running in the brief time reporters saw him.

Turner called out Franklin's athleticism in the spring, but also the Michigan native's length and what the assistant coined as "suddenness."

"You know, you could say they're a good athlete, but that can go in a lot of different directions, but he's got the ability to be sudden," Turner said. "You know, he can make DBs on our team look silly sometimes with how he changes direction, or how you add the 6-foot-6 piece into it and how he jumps.

"I've had enough players where they're awesome at technique, and you got to get the most out of them physically. He's a guy, that's the other. He's got great physical traits, and now I just need to whittle him down in being a tight end. But you know, you add him in with a guy like Jake, Esch, some of the real fast guys, it really balances out our tight end group because we got plenty of hammers, we got plenty of big, strong guys so you always want a little bit of balance. They can play off each other."

Throw in players like second-year tight ends Cam Large and Cole Dakovich, along with true freshman Jack Pugh, and this group looks solid for not just this season but years to come.

Stokke continued the legacy of Derek Watt, Austin Ramesh and Alec Ingold in becoming an all-around fullback within Wisconsin's offense who could block, run and catch the ball out of the backfield. It feels like those who inherit the position have the abilities to do so as well.

Both Chenal and Easterling both saw significant time in the backfield during the spring practices open to reporters due to tailbacks' numbers dwindling in April. Each player held their own in the modified roles presented to them.

Chryst said during Big Ten Media Days on July 23 that he was "excited about" Chenal, who comes into 2021 already having played 29 career games in cardinal and white. The fourth-year fullback rushed for 80 yards on 12 attempts (6.8 yards per carry) with two touchdowns last season.

Though Chenal has caught only three career passes for 15 yards -- all during UW's 2019 campaign -- both he and Easterling displayed that particular skill set during the practices open to reporters in April.

Wisconsin has utilized two fullbacks in recent years, which has included Ramesh and Ingold, and Stokke and Chenal, within the offense. Seeing how Easterling can develop further will be a mini-storyline within the backfield this season.

Chenal believes that Easterling, whose Instagram profile shows he switched numbers from No. 28 to No. 43 in the offseason, has the physicality down. Now it comes down to another aspect of the game.

"He was a bruising fullback in high school. He did a good job, and so now it's just more of the mental stuff," Chenal said on April 12. "And everyone that comes to college, I started out like that, you got to learn the playbook, you got to develop it. So at a certain point, the game will slow down for you.

"So I think that's what he's really working on because like I said, he's got most of the physical down, and so now it's just letting the game slow down for you. Because he's capable of executing everything, it's just now, 'What's my read?' Where do I go?' And then just relaxing and let your body take you there."