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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Volunteers clean up the streets and pray during community prayer walk
About 30 volunteers picked up trash and gathered in prayer during a walk launched from Kosciuszko Park in Milwaukee’s Lincoln Village neighborhood.
The average Wisconsin resident generates nearly 5 pounds of trash every day, but recycles less than 2 pounds of that trash, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.
A survey conducted by the department looked at the top barriers to recycling in the state, with 39% of respondents saying it’s easier to throw recyclables in the trash, 35% saying they sometimes forget to recycle and 28% saying they’re not always sure which materials are recyclable.
Here’s a guide to what you can and can’t recycle in Wisconsin, and what to do with certain items that can be recycled – just not at home.
Many household recyclable materials can simply be placed in your personal recycling bin. If you’re ever unsure, contact your local waste handler or refer to the state Department of Natural Resources guide.
Here are some of the most common household recyclable materials:
There are other household items that are technically recyclable, but should not be thrown in your home recycling bin. Specific drop-off facilities for such items are available across the state.
There are some items you may think are recyclable that simply are not, including some materials that can be hazardous for recycling facility staff or harmful to recycling machinery.
MADISON, Wis. (Gray) – Wisconsin is working to assess damage from last week’s severe weather that brought extensive flooding, wind damage and 25 reported tornadoes across the state.
“We have pretty widespread damage, really in most areas of the state,” Greg Engel, a Wisconsin Emergency Management administrator, said.
As Wisconsin begins its path to recovery, Gov. Tony Evers is urging Wisconsin’s congressional delegation to start conversations with the Trump administration to “convey the importance of FEMA assistance.”
In a Friday letter to Wisconsin’s congressional delegation, Evers wrote, “It would be unfortunate if Wisconsin’s anticipated requests for emergency assistance are once again declined.”
The historic storms come after August’s thousand-year floods in Wisconsin, which particularly impacted Milwaukee. While FEMA approved homeowner relief funds, it denied Evers’ request for more than $26 million to support public assistance and hazard mitigation for six impacted counties.
Now, Wisconsin is still working to tally up the extent of the destruction from April’s storms. Some communities likely won’t complete their damage assessments until early next week, Engel explained.
Marathon County Emergency Management said they’ve already assessed nearly 150 damaged residences, and Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson said recovery will be expensive.
“It is not an exaggeration to say that all those communities together will be millions of dollars worth of damage,” Nelson said.
After the end of these severe weather events, Evers will have 30 days to submit an application to FEMA for federal assistance. Engel said they’re working to collect as much information as they can for their report and will continue to provide resources for recovering communities.
A White House official said they “continue to monitor forecasted weather and flooding that is affecting Wisconsin.”
If you are an impacted homeowner, Rock County is encouraging homeowners to contact their insurance early, start a claim, ask what they are required to do or not do, ask about temporary housing or emergency coverage and not throw out major items until approved.
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Wisconsin Lutheran High School basketball star Zavier Zens has officially committed to play for the University of Illinois next season.
Zens, a tenacious 6-foot-7, 215-pound senior forward, initially committed to play collegiately for Northern Iowa but reopened his recruitment as the result of a head coaching change, ultimately narrowing his final choices to Illinois, Utah State, and Wisconsin.
On April 17, the highly touted three-star recruit signed a Big Ten Conference Athletics Scholarship Agreement to compete for Illinois, ending the greatly anticipated recruitment journey.
“What I was looking for was the best chance to develop and become the best player I can become,” said Zens, in an interview with Zac Bellman of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Illinois, they arguably have the best team in the country coming in next year, and the chance to get to go up against them every day, along with the good development program and their record of developing guys, was really big to me. Obviously, the fit and culture was right as well.”
Illinois tied for second in the Big Ten Conference under the guidance of head coach Brad Underwood, advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four for the first time in 21 years (2005), and finished with a 28-9 overall record.
“Zavier first and foremost is a winner,” said Underwood, in an official release posted on fightingillini.com. “He is an extremely high IQ player who has been well coached and brings a championship pedigree to the table, winning three straight state titles. He fits our recruiting mold as a 6-foot-7 versatile wing who can score at all three levels and process the game.”
Zens averaged 23.4 points per game (including a 61.8% field-goal percentage) with 5.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists this season in leading the Vikings to a third consecutive WIAA state championship and statement-making 30-0 overall record.
Wisconsin’s Mr. Basketball contributed 20 points with four 3-point baskets, six rebounds, three assists, two blocked shots, and one steal as top-seeded Wisconsin Lutheran defeated third-seeded Madison Memorial 57-37 in the WIAA Division 1 state championship game at the University of Wisconsin’s Kohl Center on March 21.
The 2026 Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year finished his memorable four-year high school career with a 109-7 overall record (including an 88-2 mark during the three-year championship run) and as the third-leading scorer in program history (1,611 points).
In an interesting twist, Zens (a cousin of NBA rookie sensation Kon Knueppel who competes for the Charlotte Hornets) joins an elite group of seven recent Wisconsin Mr. Basketball recipients who opted to play out of state.
Wisconsin, under current head coach Greg Gard, has advanced to the NCAA Tournament eight times, with the fifth-seeded Badgers most recently falling to No. 12-seeded High Point 83-82 in this year’s opening round on March 19.
The impressive list of Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association honorees includes:
— Jeff Hagenau | jeffreyhagenau@gmail.com
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