Senior tight end Jack Eschenbach 'firing on all cylinders' in fall camp

Tight end Jack Eschenbach could not catch a break during the 2021 season.

The setbacks began during fall camp when he broke his hand. Following that, Eschenbach was sidelined the second week of the season against Eastern Michigan, dislocated his right shoulder against Michigan and was rushed to the hospital for a leg injury he suffered during bowl prep. That specific injury was sustained while catching a pass on a corner route and landing awkwardly on his knee, Eschenbach explained.

Aside from missing the bowl game, the Illinois native battled through the rest of the season with a torn shoulder and fought it for the remainder of the season before undergoing surgery.

Now fully recovered and with a summer of work under his belt, the fifth-year tight end feels he's in the best shape of his career.

"I would say I’ve been kind of blessed to have a whole summer under my belt," Eschenbach told BadgerBlitz.com. "We did a lot more than most years this summer, so I would say it was a pretty smooth transition. Through practice three or four, I really felt like I had my feet under me. I feel like I’m kind of firing on all cylinders now."

First-year position coach Chris Haering is searching for answers at the tight end position after the departure of three-year starter Jake Ferguson, who is now with the Dallas Cowboys. Having received the second most snaps at the position in 2021, Eschenbach is primed to be a key contributor. During practice, Eschenbach, along with Clay Cundiff, has seen time time with the first-team offense.

Arriving in Madison at 205 pounds and moving over to tight end after playing wide receiver in high school, the challenge for the former walk-on has been catching on as a blocker.

"When I came here, I had never blocked once in my life. I was a receiver in high school and I would just like line up and kind of just run. I would never block," he said. "As I went on I’ve gained weight - really honed in on technique, really learned how to be physical and violent. Now I think the last step for me has been consistency, which I’m starting to find."

Now in his fifth year with the program, Eschenbach has bulked up and now checks in at 241 pounds. He credits the build up to "totally changing my schedule of eating" and consuming up to 5,000 to 6,000 calories a day.

As a receiver, Eschenbach has shown flashes, having brought in five catches for 59 yards across his career. That was highlighted by a 22-yard reception against in Indiana in 2020 where he took a short five-yard reception upfield. Since getting back from injury, he's worked on his speed and put up career numbers in the weight room.

"Speed was one because I was out, so I couldn’t really do much football-wise in the offseason. So one thing I really focused on was my speed in the offseason," Eschenbach said. "I was getting the fastest numbers I ever had, I’m jumping the highest I’ve ever jumped, my squat is the highest it’s ever been. So in terms of numbers and athleticism, I’ve got that and now it’s just time to use these practices to make actual plays."

Eschenbach has worked at getting faster, but his speed on the field during practice could be attributed to a playbook under offensive coordinator Bobby Engram he described as more concise. During practice on Monday, the tight end was seen catching multiple passes as an outlet for Graham Mertz and was used as an option during red-zone team drills.

"I would say overall the playbook feels very concise and easy to understand, which is a very good thing, in my opinion, because it allows you to play fast and confident," Eschenbach said. "There’s no hesitation and I think it’s really been helping me. Personally I think I’ve been playing the least hesitant I’ve ever played so far this camp and it’s served me well."

Mertz may not have a familiar security blanket like he had with Ferguson, but the group of tight ends by committee should remain productive. Eschenbach expects the group to remain productive with the experience that returns.

"I always say this. I think not as many people noticed because Ferg was always in the spotlight, but me, Clay (Cundiff), Hayden (Rucci), Jaylan (Franklin), we’ve all started and played 100s of snaps at tight end throughout the years," Eschenbach said. "So I think we’ve really got a crew of veterans that actually know what they’re doing more than people may think because we just haven't had as much of an opportunity. But I’m really confident in everyone that we’ll be able to keep things rolling."

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