Lance Mason was a lone bright spot in the Wisconsin Badgers' passing game. In his one season in Madison, the former Missouri State Bear led the team with 398 receiving yards and earned second-team All-Big Ten accolades after the season. That was enough to earn him an undrafted free agent contract with the Seattle Seahawks.Â
With Mason off to the NFL and Tucker Ashcraft now at USC, the Badgers had to add new players to the tight end position. Two new tight ends came via the transfer portal, while Wisconsin picked up a three-star high school recruit from the state of Washington. In addition, redshirt sophomore Grant Stec, who played sparingly last season, returns to Wisconsin.Â
Jacob Harris and Ryan Schwendeman expect to lead tight ends in 2026Â
Harris, currently listed at 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds, was a three-year starter at Bowling Green. In three seasons with the Falcons, Harris totaled 187 receiving yards. Now, while that production on the surface does not jump out, there are some things to note about Harris. According to Dillon Graff of Badgernotes, Harris was efficient last season, catching 19 of 28 targets, totaling 182 receiving yards, and had a 75.3 Pro Football Focus grade as a receiving target.Â
Schwendeman, who spent four seasons at FCS Southern Illinois, arrives in Madison with two seasons of eligibility remaining. At the FCS level, Schwendeman caught 28 passes for 327 yards and scored four touchdowns. Last season was Schwendeman’s most productive year, accumulating 191 receiving yards for the Salukis.Â
The tight end room was all but vacant after Mason exhausted his eligibility and Ashcraft entered the transfer portal. Harris and Schwendeman are considered leaders in this position group, given their prior experience at this position before entering the portal. However, both transfer pickups have big shoes to fill after Mason’s productive season.Â
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