As Luke Fickell‘s second act in Madison draws closer, BadgerBlitz.com will break down Wisconsin’s roster position by position ahead of spring camp, which is slated to take place from March 22 to May 2.
BadgerBlitz.com is once again expected to watch any open practices available for reporters to attend. Thus, our position previews continue Sunday with the tight ends, a position group that needs to make more of an impact than it did in 2023.
PREVIEWS: QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS
Hayden Rucci, Wisconsin’s most productive tight end a season ago, posted 11 catches for 125 yards last fall. Rucci is now gone, and with him goes nearly half of the Badgers’ production at tight end.
Phil Longo barely utilized tight ends in the passing game in his inaugural season in Madison. Tight ends were targeted 44 times, as opposed to 331 targets for wide receivers, according to Pro Football Focus. That disparity can largely be attributed to the fact that the Badgers’ tight ends simply didn’t fit the mold that Longo’s offense requires. The tight ends on Wisconsin’s roster were mainly in-line, blocking-first players while Longo wants more athletic, movable hybrid-like athletes.
It’s not that Longo doesn’t utilize his tight ends. In 2022, when the coordinator was still at North Carolina, his tight ends racked up 1,087 receiving yards. Longo needs players that he can move around a formation and entrust with a complex route tree.
Who could emerge as those players in Longo’s second season in Madison? If the Badgers’ offense has a weak spot on paper, it’s tight end, simply due to a lack of experience and returning production.
Tucker Ashcraft managed to contribute right away as a true freshman. For his 6-foot-5, 245-pound frame, the Seattle native can move well and serve as a legitimate receiving threat at times. He only put up eight catches for 86 yards and one score last fall, but he’s a good bet to be a staple of Wisconsin’s two-deep.
Riley Nowakowski returns as a senior following his debut season at the tight end position. Nowakowski scored the only other touchdown by a Wisconsin tight end last year in the Axe Game. The Badgers liked using him in the red zone, especially later in the season. If he can continue to hone his game as a tight end, he should be right there in the mix for snaps this fall.
The most intriguing player at the position may be LSU transfer Jackson McGohan. He didn’t play as a freshman in Baton Rouge, but the Badgers are in love with his athletic ability and potential. Fickell tried to lure the Miamisburg, Ohio native to Cincinnati before he came to Madison, and the coach will get his shot to develop a player he recruited heavily at his prior job.
Still, the Badgers need immediate help at the position, which is why its crucial that Wisconsin’s two true freshman â Robert Booker and Grant Stec â are enrolling early this spring. Both players appear to fit the mold Longo seeks at tight end, as both are athletic pass-catchers who can be moved around the formation. It’ll be fascinating to see how quickly they’re given the chance to compete for meaningful reps.
Wisconsin’s Projected Running Backs on 2024 Spring Roster
*Indicates Walk-On
Departing Players at Position Group
Stec and Booker were both highly sought-after recruits who, in addition to possessing fantastic size, can both run routes and catch passes proficiently. Because of the Badgers’ obvious need for that skillset at the position, it feels like if they were given an opportunity they could make an immediate splash. The question is, when will that opportunity come?
The “experienced” players ahead of the freshman barely fit that description. Nowakowski has only played tight end for one year. Ashcraft will be just a sophomore. McGohan didn’t see any offensive snaps for LSU a season ago. What’s more, no one in Wisconsin’s tight end room has proven that they are capable of being a consistent difference-maker. What does all this mean? There should be plenty of snaps for the taking.
The entire depth chart at tight end should be up for grabs this offseason, from top to bottom. Wisconsin did well to restock talent at the position by bringing in two coveted freshman and a transfer. All that’s left to do is determine the pecking order on the football field.
The aforementioned freshman will be intriguing to watch, but McGohan is the one to keep an eye on this spring. In high school, McGohan displayed everything Longo could ask for in a tight end: alignment flexibility, great hands, an ability to run after the catch and a nasty, physical demeanor. With his athletic tools, he should be given every opportunity to show what he can do. And with the depth chart wide open, McGohan’s time is now.
Potential Depth Chart at Quarterback
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Wisconsin Congressional Districts (2025)
MADISON, Wis. – A three-judge panel in Wisconsin on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit brought by Democratic voters that sought to redraw the battleground state’s Republican-friendly congressional boundary lines ahead of the November midterm election.
The decision can be appealed to the liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court, but it’s unclear whether it could rule in time to affect the election this year. There is a second lawsuit pending that also seeks to redraw the state’s congressional districts, but it isn’t slated to go to trial until April 2027.
Both lawsuits were filed as President Donald Trump wages a national redistricting battle in an effort to preserve the Republicans’ slim House majority in November.
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What they’re saying:
The three-judge panel said in its ruling that it has “no basis to find the current congressional map invalid.” The case must be dismissed, the judges said, because only the Wisconsin Supreme Court can determine whether the maps should be redrawn.
But in dismissing the lawsuit, the panel made clear that it was “not endorsing the current congressional map.”
“Rather, we, as circuit court judges, do not have the authority to read into a Wisconsin Supreme Court case an analysis that it does not contain,” the judges ruled.
Wisconsin Capitol, Madison
However, the judges said they “stand ready” to engage in any fact-finding the state Supreme Court might order later.
Republicans praised the ruling.
“This is a significant win for Republicans and a yet another blow to desperate Democrats who wanted to reshape the electoral landscape,” said Zach Bannon, spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee. “By keeping Wisconsin’s current district lines in place for 2026, Republicans are in a strong position to build on our momentum to retain and grow our House majority.”
The backstory:
The Wisconsin Supreme Court in November ordered that the redistricting cases be first heard by the three-judge panel over objections from Republicans. It marked the first time that process has been used under a 2011 law enacted by Republicans.
The lawsuit that was dismissed argued that the current maps discriminate against Democrats. They do so by packing a substantial number of Democrats into two districts while breaking up other Democratic areas into six Republican-favorable districts, the lawsuit argued. They also argued that the Wisconsin Supreme Court violated the constitutional separation of powers provision when adopting the most recent map.
In 2010, the year before Republicans redrew the congressional maps, Democrats held five seats compared with three for Republicans. Republicans hold six of the state’s eight House seats, but only two are considered competitive.
The current congressional maps, which were based on the ones drawn in 2010, were approved by the state Supreme Court when it was controlled by conservative judges. The U.S. Supreme Court in March 2022 declined to block the maps from taking effect.
Big picture view:
A top target for Democrats is the western Wisconsin seat held by Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a vocal Trump supporter. He won in 2022 after longtime Democratic Rep. Ron Kind retired. Van Orden won reelection in the 3rd District in 2024.
The other seat Democrats hope to make more competitive is southeastern Wisconsin’s 1st District, which Republican Rep. Bryan Steil has held since 2019. The latest maps made that district more competitive while still favoring Republicans.
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What’s next:
The dismissed lawsuit was brought on behalf of 11 voters by Elias Law Group. Attorneys with the liberal law firm did not immediately reply to a message seeking comment. Attorneys for Wisconsin’s six Republican members of Congress who sought the dismissal had no immediate comment.
The lawsuit scheduled to go to trial next year was brought by a bipartisan coalition of business leaders. There is also a pending motion to dismiss that case.
The Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy argues in its lawsuit that Wisconsin’s congressional maps are unconstitutional because they are an anti-competitive gerrymander. The lawsuit notes that the median margin of victory for candidates in the eight districts since the maps were enacted is close to 30 percentage points.
The Source: The Associated Press provided this report.
As part of a spring tradition in southeastern Wisconsin, free learn-to-fish clinics for youth will be held April 18 at eight public sites in Milwaukee and Washington counties.
The events, offered free for children ages 15 and under, are staffed by members of local fishing clubs and presented by the Milwaukee and Washington county parks departments, the Department of Natural Resources, the Wisconsin Council of Sport Fishing Organizations and the Hunger Task Force Fish Hatchery.
All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Additional free clinics will be held in similar formats April 25 and June 27 at private clubs in Waukesha County.
The programs are part of campaign started about 40 years ago to get Wisconsin youth outdoors and teach fishing basics.
“These free, family-oriented clinics are designed to introduce beginners to fishing while helping established anglers sharpen their skills ahead of the open water season,” the DNR said in a statement.
The clinics will feature hands-on sessions on knot-tying, water safety, fish identification and fishing techniques as well as casting games, painting and tattoos, according to the DNR.
The lakes, ponds or lagoons at host sites are stocked with panfish or trout before the clinics.
Fishing equipment is available, but participants are encouraged to bring a rod and reel if possible.
No preregistration is required. The instructional sessions typically last about 1 hour and will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 18.
Milwaukee County locations hosting clinics are: Brown Deer Park, 7835 N. Green Bay Road; Dineen Park, 6901 W. Vienna St.; Greenfield Park, 2028 S. 124 St.; Kosciuszko Park, 2201 S. 7th St.; McCarty Park, 8214 W. Cleveland Ave.; Mitchell Park, 524 S. Layton Blvd.; Scout Lake Park, 6201 W. Loomis Road; and Sheridan Park, 4800 S. Lake Drive.
And in Washington County, a clinic will be held Saturday at Regner Park, 800 N. Main St., West Bend.
Clinics will occur rain or shine, so participants are encouraged to dress for the weather. Adults are also encouraged to inquire about joining a club to expand their knowledge and help with future clinics.
The clinics are held on formally designated urban waters and are reserved by state statute for youth ages 15 and younger and people with certain disabilities.
Along with DNR staff, members of the following clubs and organizations will provide angling instruction at the clinics: Okauchee Fishing Club; Inner City Sportsmen Club; Milwaukee Great Lakes Sports Fishermen; Southside Sportsmen’s Club; Bayview Rod & Gun Club; South Milwaukee 1400 Fishing & Hunting Club; and Walleyes Unlimited.
In addition, two private clubs in Waukesha County will offer free fishing clinics later in spring and summer.
Wern Valley Hunting Preserve and Sporting Clays will hold clinics April 25 at a pond on its grounds. The events will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The club is located at S36 W29657 Wern Way, Waukesha.
And on June 27, Daniel Boone Conservation League will hold free fishing clinics at its pond. The clinics will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The club is located at 4694 Hwy. 167, Hubertus.
For more information on the Milwaukee or West Bend kid’s fishing clinics, contact Laura Schmidt, DNR fisheries biologist, at Laura.Schmidt@wisconsin.gov or (414) 416-0591. For information on the clinic at Wern Valley in Waukesha, contact Al Shook at arshook56@gmail.com or (414) 218-0774. And for nformation on the clinic at Daniel Boone in Hubertus, contact MarySusan Diedrich at msd55@att.net or (414) 379-3770.
Stamp design contests: The DNR is accepting artwork entries in the design contests for the 2027 Wisconsin wild turkey, ring-necked pheasant and waterfowl stamps.
The contests are held annually and provide Wisconsin artists with an opportunity to showcase their talents, commemorate their work and promote wildlife conservation across the state.
Hunters are required to purchase a species-specific stamp to legally harvest a turkey, pheasant or waterfowl species in Wisconsin. Sales of the three stamps generate hundreds of thousands of dollars annually for species management throughout the state, including habitat management, restoration, education and research projects, according to the DNR.
Stamp design entries for this year’s contests must be received or postmarked by Aug. 1, 2026.
Registration, rules, entry information and reproduction rights agreements are available on the DNR’s Wildlife Stamp Funding and Stamp Design Contest webpage.
Video shows the moment a brawl broke out outside a Kohl’s at the Bayshore Mall during a teen “takeover” event in Glendale, Wisconsin on Sunday, March 29, 2026. (Credit: @milwaukeereports via Storyful)
Video shows the moment a brawl reportedly broke out outside a Kohl’s at the Bayshore Mall during an unsanctioned teen “takeover” event in Glendale, Wisconsin on Sunday, March 29, 2026 . (Credit: @milwaukeereports via Storyful)
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