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Wisconsin Badgers starting tight end getting closer to return from injury

Lorin Cox|
Aug 30, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers tight end Tucker Ashcraft (38) during the game against the Western Michigan Broncos at Camp Randall Stadium.
Aug 30, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers tight end Tucker Ashcraft (38) during the game against the Western Michigan Broncos at Camp Randall Stadium. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers haven't had the top tight end on their depth chart all season.

After a bye week of extra rest, Tucker Ashcraft is ready to return to action.

He suffered a left leg injury during a fall camp practice in mid August. Soon after, the team ruled him out for the start of the season, but Luke Fickell didn't have a longer timeline for his recovery.

Entering Week 6, he's made a lot of progress. For the first time all season, he was upgraded to "questionable" on the Badgers' injury report.

He had been ruled out of every other game so far this season.

Ashcraft entered the year as the team's top option at tight end, stepping into a bigger role for his junior season.

Without him, transfer Lance Mason has emerged as a breakout weapon for the offense, leading the team in catches and receiving yards through the first four games.

When Ashcraft returns, it will be interesting to see how offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes deploys both players.

Mason is showing no signs of slowing down, and he has been backup quarterback Danny O'Neil's favorite target.

But Ashcraft has plenty of talent he can offer too. It's a good problem to have, with more quality players than you know what to do with.

At the very least, Wisconsin is hoping his blocking can help jumpstart the running game that has struggled all season.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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