Wisconsin Football: Grading group performances from week one

This is mostly about Jake Ferguson, the athletic freshman tight end Badger fans had been hoping would get a chance to play sooner rather than later. Well, he did. And he played great.

Ferguson was targetted early and often by Alex Hornibrook, who must see some similarities between Ferguson and recently graduated tight end Troy Fumagalli. The tight end position at Wisconsin is utilized often in the passing game. Ferguson has as good of raw pass-catching ability as any tight end on the roster and he showed it Friday night.

Ferguson’s shortcomings were in other areas the Badger offense needs tight ends to perform well, but he showed he’s looking good in those areas too. As a blocker, he helped free Jonathan Taylor for a touchdown run and was out in front for the other. As a pass catcher, he made several key plays. But more importantly, he was able to get open down the field with crisp, clean routes. It’s not all about flashy catches and being able to jump high. Ferguson has to be precise in everything he does. And he was on Friday.

Ferguson was the only tight end to record a catch against Western Kentucky, and he had four for 43 yards. It’s not the kind of performance that’s going to stick out to many, but it’s a great jumping-off point for the weeks ahead. Big things are to come of this position group, especially when Zander Neuville returns from injury.