Madison — The Badgers took to the Camp Randall turf on Saturday morning, holding a practice the media was invited to at the last minute. The team scrimmaged for much of the session, with referees and plenty of family and friends of the program on hand.
BadgerBlitz.com has once again has complied the key takeaways as Wisconsin begins to wrap up their fall camp.
Tight end room in flux
The Badgers were thin at tight end when the program announced that Clay Cundiff and Jack Eschenbach were no longer on the team. Now, they're even thinner as injuries have struck several more members of the room.
Riley Nowakowski, who has been running with the starters for much of the fall, was seen with a boot on his left foot and was using a cart to move around the sidelines.
"We're hoping maybe four weeks, five weeks, six, we don't know. He's got a foot (injury) as well," Luke Fickell told reporters after practice. "Will Pauling might've been out for three weeks or so, but some guys heal really really fast. We'll be smart in continuing to move forward, but he's not out for a long, long period of time. We'll definitely have him back, it's just how soon."
That left plenty of first team reps up for grabs in Nate Letton's room, and Hayden Rucci seized the opportunity. The fifth-year senior made multiple plays in the passing game Saturday.
On one play, with the first-team offense needing some momentum, Rucci caught a bullet from Tanner Mordecai over the middle for a chunk play of about 40 yards. Later in practice, Mordecai gave Rucci a chance on a jump ball. The tight end ripped it away from a defensive back who was in perfect position to intercept the ball, showcasing strong hands and body control. If Rucci can make big-time receptions like those while also being able to clear out space as a blocker, he'll earn plenty of snaps this fall.
Angel Toombs was also spotted with a boot on his left foot, and was using crutches to get around. Fickell said he's in a similar situation timeline-wise as Nowakowski.
Jack Pugh is dealing with a personal matter, and Fickell said that he's unsure of any timeframe in regards to his redshirt sophomore tight end.
"It's one of those things. It's a little easier with a foot or a knee, you have a better idea of when you have a chance to be back. No, we don't know exactly. He's around, and hopefully he can get back with us soon."
