The Game Plan - Previewing the Badgers Tight Ends
Time for part two of our preview of the 2024 season, and we're going to be taking a look at the tight ends. We are talking in the shoes of Wisconsin Tight End Coach Nate Letton and we are looking at where this group needs to improve fundamentally, execution wise, and how we can take advantage of these new skills tactically.
Speaking from a fundamental point of view, I thought something that we really struggled with last year was overall athleticism in the tight end room, with the exception of true freshman Tucker Ashcraft. This was to be expected when the projected #1 and #2 TEs left the program before fall camp. To improve fundamentally as a group it starts with becoming more dynamic athletes. They addressed this in recruiting with the additions of Jackson McGohan, Grant Stec, and Rob Booker, but it needs also improve on the practice field. Quicker and more efficient releases, accelerating to and and out of breaks, and smarter route running creates better leverage simply because a defender to take an extra step anyways so let's create more space by being dynamic.
When it comes to execution we've got to get better at winning routes and using size and strength to win routes. Come on at the end of the day these are still big strong bodies that should act more like a power forward in basketball than a refrigerator. We saw issues last season when we got to the top of the route we couldn't finish either by poor leverage or not being able to win the battle with coverage. Tyler Van Dyke showed at Miami that he needs that security blanket that he can rely on for the tough catch when he needs it the most, and by being stronger at the point of the catch our tight ends can give him that security.
From a tactical perspective the tight ends have to become more of a vertical threat. Last year, we saw a lot of mesh routes, curl routes, and crossers, but we didn't see many straight vertical shots from the tight ends. I'm not saying our downfield passing game has to come through the tight ends but if we have better athleticism and can carry defenders vertically that is going to help spread the defense and give them more space to cover especially over the top. If we have tight ends who cannot press the defense vertically quickly and efficiently enough, defenses can play with fewer players over the top which allow defenses to win by simply out athleting us. In any modern offense we need tight ends who can push downfield and force the defense to cover more ground, getting them to play more cover three instead of cover one, or cover four instead of cover two. This will help the intermediate and short passing games, creating that three-layered effect that makes the Air Raid offense much more efficient.
Putting it all together I think we have the players in the room this year that can do it. McGohan and Booker are big possession type receivers who will be as comfortable in the slot as they would be as a boundary receiver (by the true definition of boundary receiver). Tucker Ashcraft did really well for a true freshman last year as an every down kind of TE, and with improved blocking his role will expand further. Riley Nowakowski used to be a fullback and his role will probably "devolve" back to that as he is a reliable blocker with sure hands in the flat. Grant Stec looks to me like a bigger, stronger Ashcraft who could push his way onto the depth chart because he brings the whole package with a bit of a nasty streak. But that's enough talk about the depth chart...
Coaches are less about who's in the room and more about, "This is what I've got, what do I have to do to make them better? Less stars and bells and whistles actually make a coach's job more fun...and that's why we do it!