Wisconsin Badgers positional recruit snapshot: 2022 tight ends

Over the next two weeks, BadgerBlitz.com will be bringing you snapshots for each recruited position, covering the targets who are legitimate prospects on Wisconsin's board in the 2022 class. We will discuss the 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.

Today, we continue with a look at the tight ends.

QBs | RBs |

After it signed two scholarship tight ends in the previous two classes, Wisconsin inked just one in 2021: three-star Jack Pugh. The standout from Ohio will join a largely unproven group next year, especially if redshirt junior Jake Ferguson jumps to the NFL after UW's bowl game later this month. In the 2022 cycle, position coach Mickey Turner has extended five known scholarships, but three players from that list have already made commitments to other programs.

Wisconsin will have a built-in recruiter at Bellevue West in its pursuit of Micah RIley. Chucky Hepburn, who is signed to play for UW head coach Greg Greg, attends the same high school as the junior, who had 23 receptions and seven touchdowns in six games last fall.

"Chucky and I go to the same school and he's one of my best friends," Riley told BadgerBlitz.com. "We got on FaceTime as soon as I got the offer and he was really excited. We talked a little bit and I know where he wants me to go. He's just excited for me. I'm extremely interested in Wisconsin. I know they win a lot and are a great school. I want to get up there as soon as I can."

A four-star prospect, Riley currently has a top 8 of Arizona State, Auburn, Florida State, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon and Wisconsin.