A transfer expected to be a key piece of the University of Wisconsin football team's offense is not currently with the program.
Tight end Tanner Koziol has not been at practices since April 3, when he was seen riding a stationary bike and working with trainers. He sustained what appeared to be a lower leg injury at practice April 1. Badgers coach Luke Fickell was asked Tuesday about Koziol’s status and timetable for return.
“Tanner is dinged up and is going through a few things right now, so I don't know about what's exactly going on,” he said. Fickell is next slated to speak with reporters on Tuesday.
A BadgerExtra source said Koziol returned home the weekend of April 4. Two other sources said Koziol intends to hit the transfer portal again when it opens Wednesday, but Wisconsin officials said they had no information on the matter when asked Sunday. A message left with Koziol was not returned Sunday.
Koziol was expected to be the top tight end in an offense that would prefer to use 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends, two receivers) as a base package. He was also expected to give the Badgers a high-level, pass-catching threat at the tight end spot, something they haven't had since Jake Ferguson graduated following the 2021 season.
The Ball State transfer who joined the Badgers this winter was the most productive returning tight end in college football after posting 94 catches, 839 yards and eight touchdowns. He had 163 catches, 1,507 yards and 18 touchdowns in his three years at the MAC program.
If Koziol isn't part of the team this fall, the Badgers likely will turn to Tucker Ashcraft in the top role, Grant Stec in the second and a combination of Monroe product JT Seagreaves and Verona High School grad Jackson Acker in the third slot. Acker, a senior who converted from running back, has been in a hybrid role of tight end and fullback in spring practices.
Ashcraft has looked his best during this set of spring practices, but losing Koziol would be a blow to the depth of the unit. Wisconsin may consider approaching another transfer tight end in the spring window but Fickell has said in the past he's not anticipating the spring portal to be a big part of Wisconsin’s roster building.
Offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes said Friday that the tight ends who are practicing are on the right track in learning a varied role.
“That position is one of the most difficult positions to learn in this offense, but also to just get to the point where they're able to excel at their jobs,” Grimes said. “And it's for two reasons: One, just the different things that we asked them to do, they're lining up all over the place and so they have to know where to line up, just like any receiver or running back would, as well as your traditional tight end alignments.
“And then their job responsibilities are larger, just the volume of skills that we're asking from them is really high. They've got to be able to run block like an offensive tackle, they've also got to be able to run block like a receiver does, which is an undervalued thing and a completely different skill. And then they've got to be able, at times, to pass protect, particularly in our play-action game, and then they’ve got to be able to, hopefully, run routes like a receiver would when we do extend them out there.
“So there's a lot, there's a lot to do right there. And I think they're making good progress.”
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