David Moorman came into the final season at Madison well versed in the different positions on Wisconsin's offensive line. In 2018, UW listed him as the No. 2 left guard behind the now-departed Michael Deiter. Redshirt junior Tyler Biadasz stated the fifth-year player worked at guard, tackle and center during this past spring.
Now two games into the 2019 season, add tight end to Moorman's resume of positions he can handle within UW's offense.
“I think it was probably after David’s eighth year here that it started to really sink into my head that he could do a lot of things," said offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Joe Rudolph on Tuesday morning, a smile extending across his face.
All joking aside, Rudolph praised Moorman, the redshirt senior who played essentially two different positions during Wisconsin's first two games and will likely be a significant contributor the rest of the season.
“He’s an awesome kid, man, and he’s all in whatever you ask him," Rudolph said. "Really we just came out one day and had to play him at center. He was the guy and did it. Came out one day, had to play him at tight end, and proved he could do it. We lean on that a lot, and we appreciate that about him, and he’s going to continue to help us all year long.”
Coming into 2019, Moorman had played in 41 career games mostly on special teams and as a reserve lineman. Against South Florida, he worked at tight end and wore a different jersey number, No. 46. He found himself in the new role, essentially an extra lineman, due to a long list of injuries at that position group behind starter Jake Ferguson.
UW still lists Luke Benzschawel (right leg) as out after suffering an injury during a fall camp scrimmage. Before that, redshirt junior walk-on Gabe Lloyd (right leg) was lost for the entire season, and redshirt sophomore Coy Wanner (left leg) was also not on the 110-man roster during fall camp practices open to the media. Last week, Zander Neuville announced on social media that his comeback for a sixth season at Wisconsin fell short, as he sustained yet another injury that would subsequently end his collegiate career.
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), which actually listed Moorman as the injured Lloyd in the South Florida game due to using his teammate's number, the redshirt senior played 11 snaps under that designated jersey and graded out with a 71.9.
"I mean, I wasn’t really running the full route tree, so I didn’t have to worry about running too many routes, but it’s definitely fun," Moorman said about playing tight end. "I switched up my gloves a little bit just so maybe if I had a chance. Besides that, it was just kind of like being off the ball and off alignment on a lot of plays was different being in a two-point stance. That’s weird, but it was definitely fun. It was exciting to kind of get the opportunity.
"I guess you have to be a little bit better in space just because you have to hand flash some guys and release, but for the most part, it was pretty straight forward. It was just basically, like you said, like an extra lineman. Big thing for me was getting movement off the ball which is what you do every single play as an o-lineman.”
Towards the end of win against the Bulls, Moorman went back to his normal No. 68 to receive nearly a handful of reps at right tackle at the end of the lopsided road win. Then with normal starter Logan Bruss out for Wisconsin's second game against Central Michigan, the fifty-year lineman saw time solely at that position with redshirt sophomore Tyler Beach in yet another dominant victory.
Not having to switch jerseys and just concentrating on the offensive line duties, PFF graded out the redshirt senior with a 73.8 on 56 total snaps, and the Badgers racked up 599 yards of offense.
Wisconsin having lineman who can play multiple positions is not uncommon, especially in recent memory with Deiter who played left tackle, guard and center in his time as a Badger. For that matter on this year's line, redshirt senior Jason Erdmann has started at both guard positions in the first two games this season and can also play center if needed.
Monday morning, Biadasz praised Moorman's development, along with his knowledge of the playbook and various roles he may be called upon to perform.
"Even with Erdmann switching back and forth, that’s hard to do," Biadasz said, "and I know Deiter did it once, but like just to be able to do that and have confidence with him in and out, even at tight end, that’s pretty huge.”
Moorman recalled jumping in at the center position for the first time during last year's fall camp. Despite the new, encompassing task before him, it widened his range to play the other spots on the line.
"Once you learn center, it kind of opens up all the rest of the positions for you because our centers, they make all the calls," Moorman said.
The center has to know the other linemen's assignments as part of the bigger picture within the offense. Moorman believes it helped make it less challenging to bump around.
“It definitely helped just like getting those reps, getting opportunities so if a position like tight end opens up, like, 'OK, I know what the offensive line is doing so I just got to know' -- like technique is a little bit different -- but I know what to do every play."
Moorman's assignments on Saturday -- against one of his home state schools in the No. 11 Michigan Wolverines (11 a.m. CT, FOX) -- could vary depending upon the health of Bruss, who was designated as questionable on Wisconsin's preliminary injury report released on Monday.
If the latter cannot go, Moorman is listed as the No. 2 right tackle on this week's depth chart and could see time back at the position with Beach as seen against Central Michigan.
“You know a lot about them," head coach Paul Chryst said on Monday regarding Moorman and Beach. "We’re with them all the time, but then when you get put in game situations, you want to see, is it the same person? I think they were, and they didn’t morph into someone different. The moment didn’t get big on them. Like we said, we know the tests are different each week, and certainly as you get into conference play, we anticipate the tests being harder and more challenging, but I’ve liked the way they’ve worked.
"They’ve done a lot of different things, and so I think that helps whenever you have to shuffle. It’s not like the first time they’re being asked to do something.”
