Tag: riley nowakowski

Former Wisconsin starting tight end transfers to Indiana

Wisconsin transfer tight end commits to Indiana

Former Wisconsin tight end Riley Nowakowski committed to Indiana on Wednesday.

The former Badger starter transfers to the Hoosiers, a team that plays Wisconsin in 2025, for his final season of eligibility.

Related: Wisconsin football 2024 transfer portal departure tracker

Nowakowski played five seasons at Wisconsin. He shared starting duties in both 2023 and 2024, totaling a combined 18 catches for 131 yards and a touchdown.

The Milwaukee, Wisconsin native originally joined the Badgers as a walk-on linebacker in the class of 2020. He soon switched to fullback in the program’s old offensive system under former head coach Paul Chryst. Phil Longo then flipped the veteran to tight end upon arrival in 2023, as his air raid offense did not employ a traditional fullback.

Nowakowski commits to an Indiana program that is amid a breakout 2024 season under first-year head coach Curt Cignetti. The No. 10-ranked Hoosiers went 11-1 in the regular season and are set for a first-round College Football Playoff game against No. 7 Notre Dame.

Wisconsin recently landed former Ball State star tight end Tanner Koziol, making the position a real strength entering 2025. He projects to play a sizable role as the program shifts back to a pro-style offensive under new coordinator Jeff Grimes.

The progression of the position will be one to watch as the season kicks off, as will the possible reemergence of the fullback position.

Nowakowski will be on an opposing sideline for that campaign. For more on where former Badger transfers are headed, bookmark our transfer departure tracker.

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BREAKING: Wisconsin starting tight end enters transfer portal

BREAKING: Wisconsin starting tight end to enter transfer portal

Wisconsin Badgers starting tight end Riley Nowakowski announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Monday.

Wisconsin’s two-deep depth chart continues to dwindle during the winter transfer portal window. The veteran pass-catcher joins quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, defensive lineman Curt Neal, defensive lineman James Thompson Jr. and wide receiver Trech Kekahuna as prominent members of the team’s two-deep to enter.

“I want to thank coach (Paul) Chryst and coach (Chris) Haering for giving me the opportunity to live out my childhood dream of being a Badger,” Nowakowski wrote on X. “I would also like to thank coach (Luke) Fickell and coach (Nate) Letton for helping me continue to grow on and off the field.

“I could not be more appreciative of this program and wish nothing but the best for Badger nation. I have put a lot of time into this decision and it has not been easy. With that being said, I will be entering the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining.”

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Nowakowski arrived in Madison as one of Paul Chryst’s class of 2020 acquisitions after pocketing the John Anderson Award for the top senior linebacker in Wisconsin.

Nowakowski played five seasons in Madison and logged his two most productive seasons in his final two campaigns. From 2023-24, he snared all 18 of his receptions for 131 total yards and one touchdown as one of the program’s primary starters at the position.

The Milwaukee native will search for more touches elsewhere in his sixth year of collegiate eligibility. While he may not have torched opposing defenses with enlarged statistical outputs, he was synonymous with Wisconsin football during his tenure.

Rising junior Tucker Ashcraft, who has reeled in 20 catches for 168 yards and two scores in his two seasons for Wisconsin, will likely assume starting tight end duties for the Badgers.

This could also be a position of need as Wisconsin continues its transfer portal recruiting pursuits.

For more on UW’s departing talent, bookmark our 2024 transfer portal tracker.

One-on-one interview with Wisconsin Badgers tight end Tucker Ashcraft

One-on-one interview with Wisconsin Badgers tight end Tucker Ashcraft

The Wisconsin Badgers football team completed another training camp practice on Wednesday as they near their 2024 season-opener: Aug. 30 at home against Western Michigan.

Sophomore tight end Tucker Ashcraft is looking to take a step up in his second season with the team. In 2023, he was able to reel in eight catches for 81 yards and a touchdown. He feels his confidence is higher entering this year.

“Mentally, my confidence is there. My physicality is there. I’m working on getting faster every day,” Ashcraft said. “As a whole, I think we’re getting there. I think there’s things we can always clean up, but there’s a lot of good things that I’m seeing.”

Ashcraft will be working with a new starting quarterback in 2024 after it was announced Wednesday that transfer quarterback Tyler Van Dyke earned the job.

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“I think he’s a great quarterback. He can scramble and get out of the pocket and still make plays. Honestly, I’m pretty excited,” Ashcraft detailed.

Ashcraft will look to form a dynamic tight end duo this season with redshirt senior Riley Nowakowski — who profiles as a more productive blocking option — in offensive coordinator Phil Longo’s air raid scheme.

Wisconsin Lands 2020 Walk On Riley Nowakowski

Wisconsin received a verbal from in-state linebacker Riley Nowakowski as he’ll join the Badgers as a walk-on.

Wisconsin is still putting the finishing touches on its 2020 recruiting class with 19 scholarship players already signed and Jalen Berger expected to do the same on February 5th.

The Badgers were able to add one more player to the class this past week when Riley Nowakowski announced his decision to commit to the Badgers as a preferred walk-on.

Nowakowski who projects to linebacker chose to walk-on at Wisconsin over scholarship offers from New Mexico State, Air Force, Army, Northern Illinois, among his other offers, which also includes schools from the Ivy League.

Nowakowski listed at 6’4″ and 230 pounds finished his senior season at Marquette University with 126 tackles, three sacks, and two interceptions.

Nowakowski is high school teammates with fellow preferred walk-on offensive lineman Sean Timmis who signed with the Badgers back in December.

Overall Wisconsin’s walk-on class for 2020 is Nowakowski, Timmis, long snapper Duncan McKinley, specialist Jack Van Dyke, linebacker Ross Gengler, cornerback Amaun Williams, and offensive lineman Kerry Kodanko.