2023 Wisconsin Badgers Positional Review: Tight Ends

Wisconsin dropped a hard-fought bowl game against No. 13 LSU to close out its 2023 campaign and the debut season of head coach Luke Fickell. Soon, winter conditioning will get underway, shortly followed by spring practice.

Over the next two weeks, BadgerBlitz.com will examine the 2023 Badgers position by position. Today, we'll continue with the tight ends, a group that had a distinct lack of offensive production in 2023.

The Badgers didn't have much going for them at tight end in 2023, but the freshman Tucker Ashcraft offered a glimpse of hope for the future of the position.

None of the three tight ends who suited up this past season made much of a dent on the stat sheet, and Ashcraft carries that distinction as well. Regardless, he displayed an intriguing skillset that could in time allow him to develop into a quality Big Ten tight end.

Hayden Rucci had a higher receiving total than Ashcraft this season, but the later was clearly the more natural receiving threat. As a primarily in-line blocking tight end, Rucci could occasionally threaten defenses up the seam. Ashcraft, however, has the ability as a pass-catcher to make plays all over the field. The coaching staff appears to think so, too, as Ashcraft was the only Wisconsin tight end this season to line up in all three positions: the slot, out wide and in-line.

Standing at 6-foot-5, Ashcraft was Wisconsin's tallest tight end this season. That makes him an enticing option downfield, which is part of the reason why he was tied for the lead amongst Badger tight ends this year with 16 targets. He was also sought after for big plays, as his average depth-of-target easily led the tight end room at 9.3 yards. Ashcraft reeled in just eight catches, but it was still clear to see from the routes and concepts he was running that he's more than just an in-line blocker who can occasionally slip up the seam.

The Badgers tight end room just got a lot deeper and more talented between the 2024 high school recruiting class and the transfer portal, but Ashcraft has all of the tools and moxie to compete for starter-level snaps in 2024.

Wisconsin's tight end room was nearly stripped bare just before the 2023 season kicked off, as Jack Eschenbach and Clay Cundiff both stepped away from the program indefinitely. The two have since departed for good, but at the time, the Badgers were left with Rucci, a true freshman (Ashcraft) and a converted fullback (Nowakowski). Not an ideal situation, to say the least.

And so no, Wisconsin's tight end room wasn't in a good place in 2023. But yes, it still mightily underperformed in terms of offensive production.

In offensive coordinator Phil Longo's final season at North Carolina, his tight ends combined for 1,087 yards and eight touchdowns. His first year in Madison? Tight ends reeled in just 268 yards and two touchdowns. That combined total is less production than both of Longo's top two tight ends in 2022 at Chapel Hill.

Clearly, tight ends can thrive in Longo's scheme. But the 2023 Badgers just didn't have enough firepower at the position. Rucci and Nowakowski weren't the most natural pass-catchers, and Ashcraft was a true freshman thrown into the fire.

A reliable tight end is something fans in Madison have grown accustomed to. They haven't seen that, however, since the days of Jake Ferguson. The future looks bright at tight end, but 2023 was a highly forgettable year for the position.

Badgers fans are hoping the answer is quickly. After what can only be described as a dismal season for Wisconsin tight ends, reinforcements are on the way.

The Badgers added Jackson McGohan by way of the transfer portal. The former LSU Tiger has past ties to Fickell, as he was originally committed to Cincinnati before Fickell departed for Wisconsin. He was mostly utilized on special teams his freshman season in Baton Rouge, but McGohan is a talented athlete. It'll be interesting to see how he's utilized in his debut season in Madison.

Also joining the program are the freshmen Robert Booker and Grant Stec. The pair round out a phenomenal offseason haul for the Badgers at tight end, where they desperately needed an upgrade. The two freshmen are tantalizing prospects who appear to be wonderful fits in Longo's system.

But how will the tight end room look when players first suit up for spring practices? Ashcraft is a top breakout candidate and could make a sizable jump in year two. But if the freshman are ready to contribute, it'll be hard to keep them off the field. It was a tough two years for tight ends in Madison, but the Badgers now have the manpower to field a threatening rotation at the position.

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