Key Wisconsin Badgers: No. 26 - Tight End Jack Eschenbach

Wisconsin's 2021 football season is right around the corner, so BadgerBlitz.com ranked the top 30 players who we think will be the keys to success for Paul Chryst's squad this year.

Playing time, past performance and positional depth all factored into our staff rankings.

For the third consecutive season, tight ends coach Mickey Turner is searching for a backup to workhorse Jake Ferguson. Following spring ball, fourth-year player Jack Eschenbach looks like a prime candidate to emerge from within the position group.

Eschenbach, a walk-on from Benet Academy in Illinois, tallied the first two catches of his career in 2020, the lone receptions to come from a tight end not named Ferguson. Hayden Rucci saw the field more than Eschenbach last fall but served primarily as a blocking tight end, leaving the need for a second receiving threat open. The 15 spring practices earlier this year may have served as a springboard for Eschenbach.

"Esch is a guy who was a role player, special teamer and now he has a chance to contribute on offense," Turner told reporters this spring. "I see a great maturity in him. 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. I’m excited about Esch."

Much like the rest of the tight end room, Eschenbach doesn't have much game experience. Ferguson played 442 snaps, the third-most of any Badger in 2020, followed by Rucci (164), Eschenbach (50) and Jaylan Franklin (1).

“We definitely need more of a spread-the-wealth mentality,” Turner said. “You saw it last year with some of the receivers going down. It’s not like you need to be this All-American, beat every one-on-one scenario."

Maybe the biggest question mark heading into the season is the development of a second tight end. Following spring ball, the 6-foot-6, 224-pound Eschenbach can develop into a much bigger part of the offense.

"We talk about it all the time. Coach Turner will tell us, 'we know Ferg's going to play but it's just a matter of who's going to help him.' A guy can't necessarily always get 70 plays every game and remain healthy," Eschenbach said this spring. "It's tough to do so that kind of backup, that's huge for our group and for him to stay healthy and continue to play at a maximum level."

The 2020 season saw Ferguson get nicked up on multiple occasions. In the case of any injuries, Eschenbach's growth can add some much needed depth and balance. He has the size and athletic ability to both block and stretch the field as a receiver.