BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — The countdown continues to the Wisconsin Football Spring Game on April 21, with UW wrapping up its third week of spring drills.
Leading up to the spring game, UWBadgers.com Senior Writer Mike Lucas will break down the Badgers, position by position. He has already taken a look at the offensive line and inside linebackers and now turns his attention to Wisconsin's tight ends.
NOTES & NOTABLES
STARTERS VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN IN THE COTTON BOWL: Troy Fumagalli and Kyle Penniston
LETTERWINNERS LOST (1): Eric Steffes (39 career games, 8 starts).
LETTERWINNERS RETURNING (3): Fumagalli (39 games, 20 starts), Penniston (12, 3) and Zander Neuville (26, 0).
RECEIVING LEADERS: Fumagalli (47 catches for 580 yards, 2 TDs), Penniston (6 for 102, 2 TDs).
FINDING A HOME
Less than two weeks before the 2016 opener against LSU, Neuville made the move from defensive line to tight end. The Badgers were a short at the position because David Edwards had switched to tackle and Fumagalli was nursing an arm injury. Neuville had taken some snaps at tight end at Waupaca High School, but he was recruited for the D-line. After redshirting in 2014, he appeared in 13 games in 2015 without registering a tackle. A walk-on, he was put on scholarship prior to that season.
"It was really challenging at first just because I got switched so late in the process," Neuville said of his transition from DE to TE. "A lot of it for me was memorizing what we had to do each week. And, then, as the season progressed I was slowly picking stuff up. Having guys like Foom (Fumagalli) and Steffes, who really knew the offense well, helped me out and made it a lot easier, too. When I was playing the D-line, I was about 270. I've dropped about 15 and I feel like I'm in the best shape I've been since I came here."
One of Neuville's goals for the spring was to get more involved in the passing game. "That's one of those things that just takes time and you have to build trust with the quarterbacks," he said. "So far this spring, I've definitely improved a lot, like my route running. And I think my hands have gotten a lot better. Last year was so new. I hadn't caught a ball since high school. I'm just a lot more comfortable adjusting to the ball (in flight) and using my hands now. I think I'm starting to build some of that trust."
UW tight ends coach Mickey Turner conceded the obvious. "For a guy who didn't have any catches last year, that's always a question mark," he said of Neuville's receiving skills. "But he worked a lot during the offseason on hand-eye coordination. To tell you the truth, if you looked at our targets, drops and catches this spring, he's first or second in percentage of balls caught. He had a one-hander (during Tuesday's practice) where Alex (Hornibrook) just threw it up and he turned around and snagged it."
Turner pointed out that Neuville is more confident in how he's carrying himself. Although he still knows the defense, and could be used in a pinch on that side of the ball, if necessary, Neuville views himself as "full-out" tight end. Turner sees him the same way. "You can tell when he's out there with the ones, it's not like there's a drop-off," Turner said. "He's a first-team guy and he will be out there with the first team on a lot of reps this year. Now, it's a matter of getting him to where, physically, and as a play-maker, he's not afraid to step in a big game and do the same things that he kind of flashed on last year. He's actually more vocal and his knowledge has come a long way. He's having a great spring."
FOOOOOOOOM
National pundits have already identified Fumagalli among the top tight ends going into 2017. Others in this category are Penn State's Mike Gesicki (48 catches for 679 yards and 5 TDs in 2016), NC State's Jaylen Samuels (55 for 565 and 7 TDs) and UMass' Adam Breneman (70 for 808 and 8 TDs). How will Fumagalli handle his newfound celebrity? "When it's football time, I focus on football," he said, adding that he won't be distracted by outside noise, no matter how flattering. "I will let that (the hype) play itself out. I don't worry about it too much. I try to stay out of the media stuff the best I can."
On his focus for the spring, Fumagalli said, "The two things that I wrote down was that I want to get bigger, faster and stronger and I want to understand defenses better. There's a ton of stuff to work on. I'm feeling more comfortable out of my break points. A huge part of that, and I didn't really focus on it until a couple of years ago, was my flexibility. I'm more comfortable with my body."
Turner has expectations for Fumagalli. "He has made the big catches," he said, "and he has made some very good blocks. Now, we want to get him to where no matter what the competition – when you're playing against the best, a top-10 matchup, a night game, whatever it is – he's still consistent on every play. He's a guy who's hungry enough as it is. I don't need to stay on his butt every day. But I do need to show him those spots where he can improve and he will put it on himself to get there."
MAKING STRIDES
Turner on freshman redshirt Jake Hescock (6-7, 250): "He's probably as strong as any (tight end) in the weight room. He came in right away and was benching and cleaning and squatting with the best of them. There's a natural ability there. But he's learning at this level that you just can't man-handle everybody because you're a bigger guy. That's because he's going up against big, strong guys. We're getting him back to the fundamentals, having a base, a low pad level. He's got a ton of ability."
Turner on freshman redshirt Luke Benzschawel (6-6, 257), the younger brother of Beau, a starting guard: "If there's a certain way you want to look when blocking somebody, he looks that way. His back is bowed the right way. He has a base. His hands always hit the right spot. As a young guy, there's still a lot of development needed. Ross (Kolodziej) and those guys in the weight room will keep building him. He has to understand how to be the best he can be. In terms of potential, he could be pretty good."
QUOTE TO NOTE
After gaining some weight during the offseason, the 6-4, 237-pound Penniston said, "Last year, I played a little lighter than I would have liked. Personally, I want to become a better player overall and a bigger part of the offense. I'm trying out new things (this spring) now that I'm more comfortable and feeling a lot better about my body. We all have a really good mindset (as a group). We want to be the best tight end room in the country. And we all want to be able to lead this offense."
NOTE TO QUOTE
With his 47 catches (12.3 yards per reception), Fumagalli was the first tight end to lead the Badgers in receiving since Lance Kendricks caught 43 passes in 2010. (Kendricks is now a member of the Green Bay Packers). In the Cotton Bowl, Fumagalli had as many catches (6) and more receiving yards (83 to 73) than Western's Michigan's touted wide receiver Corey Davis, a projected first round draft choice. After Fumagalli was selected as the game's offensive MVP, Broncos coach P.J. Fleck said, "That's the best tight end we've faced in four years here. He's incredible." Fumagalli, who ranks among the elite at his position in college football, and Fleck, who has moved on to Minnesota, will get to renew acquaintances on Nov. 25 in Minneapolis when the Badgers and Gophers engage in their annual Border Battle.
