Player Previews: Can TE Emmett Bork Sneak up the Depth Chart?

The redshirt freshman was a spring camp standout for the Badgers.

Wisconsin tight end Emmett Bork. | Christian Borman.

Over the course of the summer leading up to Big Ten Media Days and fall camp, Badgers On SI will extensively preview Wisconsin football's roster with a write-up for each player expected to be remotely involved in 2026.

We continue the series with a redshirt freshman tight end, Emmett Bork.

2025 Stats

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Overview

Bork came to Wisconsin alongside Nizyi Davis as something of an unheralded prospect. He listed 13 offers, including five from the Big Ten, but was still ranked in the 1,300/1,400s nationally and wasn't a top-10 prospect in Wisconsin according to either 247Sports or On3/Rivals.

In his freshman season, the Oconomowoc native played in just one game, the Week 2 clash with Middle Tennessee State. But this offseason, he's made some real noise and garnered some legit praise from teammates and coaches alike.

“I don’t wanna get too far ahead of myself with Emmett, but he’s a guy we have high expectations for, even in his second year. A guy who competes his butt off. He’s the size, the physicality, everything you want at the tight end position," head coach Luke Fickell said. "He’s a guy that has the ability to do it all."

“He’s a meathead and he’s a goofball, but once the pads come on, he’s physical. Like, he’s a dominant player. His body type, he’s everything you want in a tight end. He’s shown tremendous growth from last year, just understanding the playbook, going out there and playing free," his fellow tight end Grant Stec added.

Best-Case Scenario

Bork is technically Wisconsin's third-biggest tight end at 6-foot-6, 255 pounds, narrowly smaller than Stec who stands at 6-foot-6, 260. But he looks enormous after another year in Brady Collins' strength program:

TE Jacob Harris, WR Eugene Hilton, RB Abu Sama, and TE Emmett Bork #Badgers pic.twitter.com/NUqQElY8A8

— Nick Osen (@TheRealNickOsen) June 23, 2026

In a best-case scenario for Bork, he develops into one of if not Wisconsin's best blocking tight end by the conclusion of fall camp. Given his obvious size and frame, that's certainly within the realm of possibility. And if that happens, it's going to be hard to keep him off the field.

Even if he still isn't much of a receiving threat, he sees the field plenty in this scenario due to his blocking prowess and offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes' affinity for 12 personnel sets. He shines as a physical, dominating blocker who thrives while moving defenders against their will.

He should still see some targets in this case, and that would likely result in a very solid year for the redshirt freshman, one that could help him lock down a starting tight end role in Madison for years to come.

“You just look at his body type, he’s a well put-together kid. He’s done a great job of working incredibly hard. That’s one of the things I’m most impressed about with Bork is, he has a really high work capacity. He rarely fatigues, gets tired or hits a wall, and that’s a skill. That’s a gift," tight ends coach Nate Letton said during spring ball.

Worst-Case Scenario

If Bork's season doesn't go as planned, it likely means he was relegated to the TE4 role behind Jacob Harris, Stec and FCS transfer Ryan Schwendeman. He simply wouldn't see many snaps in that case, and would likely have another quiet year.

It's hard to see Bork playing in just one game this fall, even if he is the fourth tight end on the pecking order, simply due to the rave reviews he's drawn this offseason. But if Stec and Schwendeman both shine alongside the presumed starter Harris, Bork could find himself primarily a benchwarmer once again in 2026.

Prediction

Wisconsin tight end Emmett Bork. | Christian Borman.

I think TE3, right behind Harris and Stec, sounds about right for Bork in year two in Madison. He's got better size than Schwendeman, who is more experienced albeit at the FCS level. What's more, it's clear that the coaching staff is enamored with Bork's potential.

What kind of season does that lead to? Probably not an extremely productive one, at least statistically. Still, he could see plenty of snaps in Grimes' tight end-heavy scheme, and still gain valuable experience as he gets used to the weekly grind of the Big Ten trenches.