Positional recruit snapshot: Tight ends
We have reached the midpoint of summer and Wisconsin's 2017 recruiting class is nearly completed. The Badgers have 10 current scholarship commitments to date - plus two more preferred walk-ons - and have set up their board to land a possible top 25 national class.
Over the next two weeks BadgerBlitz.com will be bringing you snapshots for each recruited position covering the targets who are left as legitimate prospects on Wisconsin's board. We will discuss the remaining candidates who are most interested in the Badgers, as well as those who are considered long shots to commit to UW.
As always, this is just a snapshot in time and things remain fluid. Additional offered targets will appear over the next few months and some recruits will inevitably choose other colleges. These positional snapshots are meant to give the lay of the land as fall camp for the 2016 season is quickly approaching.
Class of 2017 tight end needs: 1
Class of 2017 tight commits: 1
Jake Ferguson was the first in-state athlete in the 2018 class Wisconsin extended a scholarship to. And in late March, the 6-foot-5, 215-pound projected tight end from Madison Memorial committed to the Badgers.
"I think he’s always felt comfortable there. He’s been fortunate enough to have a lot more access than most recruits because of his connections with the school," Ferguson's head coach at Madison Memorial, Adam Smith, told BadgerBlitz.com. "I think there was some family pressure – not that it was the ultimate decision-making factor – but he never leaned toward Wisconsin, which I was very happy about.
"He always had an open mind. What it did come down to was the comfort level and the opportunity to play with his brother, which he was never able to do. The school itself was big and the academic path they put out there for him and where he wants to go in life. He also feels like with what Wisconsin can offer, there’s a chance to get him to the next level, especially with what they do with tight ends. He’s going to be a hell of a football player for them."
Ferguson, who had close to 1,000 yards receiving an eight touchdowns last fall, played both ways for Memorial as a junior. He earned all-Big Eight honors at both receiver and inside linebacker in 2015.
"He's a great luxury to have," Smith said. "He’s not only able to do it (play multiple positions), he’s willing to do it. He tells us to put him anywhere on the field and wherever the team needs him. I’ve known him since about fourth grade and he’s always been a kid that will do whatever it takes in order for the team to succeed.
"So we’re going to move him all around the field and we want to win football games, but I think he can be an all-state tight end. We didn’t want to overwhelm him the first year of learning a whole new system, but having a year under his belt, we’re going to find as many mismatches as possible with him."
The three-star prospect, who recently performed well at The Opening Finals (Nike) event in Oregon, is the only scholarship tight end the Badgers will take in this cycle.
Who else came off the board?
Four-star Matt Dotson, who recently committed to Michigan State, was an early target for the staff, which was able to get him on campus at the start of the year. Offers were also out to Kemore Gamble (Florida), Devin Miller (Houston) and Ravian Pierce (Mississippi State), though they were less serious targets.
Early look at class of 2018 tight end targets:
Related positional breakdowns:
A 6-foot-6, 215-pound athlete from New York, Jeremy Ruckert blew up this in May with scholarships from Wisconsin, Ohio State, Alabama and Penn State, among others. His high school (Lindenhurst Senior) is roughly 30 minutes away from Sayville, the home of UW quarterback commit Jack Coan.
"I worked out with him (Coan) a couple times and talk to him a lot," Ruckert said. "He's a great player."
Gillison, 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, is from the same school (Pickerington Central) as 2016 signee Seth Currens. Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi and Pittsburgh are also on his offer sheet.
And keep an eye on Thomas Booker, a 6-foot-4, 245-pound junior whose father played for Wisconsin.