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Wisconsin Football: Most underrated returning Badgers

By Tanner Nestle

MADISON, WI - SEPTEMBER 30: Isaiahh Loudermilk (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MADISON, WI - SEPTEMBER 30: Isaiahh Loudermilk (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Fullback – Alec Ingold

Wisconsin Football - Alec Ingold
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – NOVEMBER 28: Alec Ingold #45 of the Wisconsin Badgers celebrates scoring a touchdown against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the first quarter of the game on November 28, 2015 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

What’s a Wisconsin offense without a trustee fullback? Austin Ramesh made our hearts flutter with his fullback dives in 2017. Ingold should be able to pick up right where Ramesh left off and be as useful of a 4th-and-inches tool in the country as anybody.

Ingold’s job is much like Gaglianone’s in the sense that it’s super thankless. Not only is the fullback used on dive plays to pick up short yardage in Wisconsin’s offense, but it’s used on almost every run play as a lead blocker. Ingold hits the hole before Jonothan Taylor will, takes all the beating and gets none of the glory.

Ingold will hardly show up in the box score, but he is assuredly one of the coaching staff’s favorite players. It takes a special kind of player to be a fullback in a power running scheme. Ingold is the guy. And when he gets his chances, he makes the most of them. He has 77 career carries, but 11 rushing touchdowns. He can also be a weapon catching the ball out of the backfield. You’ll never expect it, much like the defense Wisconsin is playing against, but when he’s open he’ll pick up yardage.

Hard-nosed football is Wisconsin football, and fullbacks embody that better than anyone. When you see Wisconsin’s offense performing at a high level just remember that Ingold is somewhere in the mess making lanes for the running backs.