Group of Six Transfer Starting to Emerge in Wisconsin’s Offense

Last fall, the Wisconsin passing attack was derailed by the injury to Billy Edwards in week one. No receiver surpassed 400 yards on the season, and the Badgers were led in receiving by tight end Lance Mason with 398 yards.

It’s a safe bet that Wisconsin won’t be led in receiving by a tight end again, and the position hasn’t made major headlines in camp, but there are a variety of skill sets in Nate Letton’s room. Today, it was Jacob Harris who stood out among the group.

Harris enters his first season in Madison coming off a campaign with Bowling Green where he made just 19 catches. Five of his catches, however, were touchdowns. In an ideal world for Wisconsin, it won’t need Harris to be a high-usage receiver.

What stands out about Harris is his sheer size. This isn’t the average Group of Six transfer who makes the jump to power-conference competition and needs to tack on some weight to be playable. He’s listed at 6-foot-6, 265 pounds, and he looks every bit of it on the field.

If nothing else, a guy who doesn’t fall far short of lineman size, is mobile enough to get into open space and throw blocks, and can also be a receiving option is a major luxury for Jeff Grimes.

To this point, that’s been what’s been on display from Harris for the most part. Competing up front with the offensive line, and an occasional catch in the flat. On Wednesday, he seemed more involved in Wisconsin’s passing attack, a welcoming sight for an offense searching for a No. 1 receiver.

Jacob Harris during spring practice. — Wisconsin tight end Jacob Harris (89) is shown during spring football practice Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

He didn’t stuff the stat sheet from a receiving standpoint, but he made a few nice plays and flashed what a potential role could look like on an every-game basis.

Early in the practice, he had a catch for a solid gain. It was by no means a highlight grab or play, but it appeared that Harris was one of the first reads on the play, if not the primary target. Once again, it wasn’t a play that gives any significant insight into his role in the offense, but it felt notable that he seemed to be one of the first options on the play.

Later on, running with the twos, Harris made his best play of the day. A lot of his action comes near the line of scrimmage as a blocker or in the flat, but he got downfield and found a soft spot in the coverage. Deuce Adams found him shy of the endzone and Harris made his way in for a score.

During a period working around the goal line, Harris was targeted with a back-shoulder jump ball in the end zone. The pass was broken up, but it was a notable play call.

While there’s been some emergence from receivers in recent practices, there’s still plenty of question marks regarding the passing game, one of which is where Colton Joseph can throw jump balls in the red zone.

It remains to be determined how Grimes deploys Harris in his offense, but when a guy possesses a unique blend of size and the ability to work in space, there will certainly be opportunities for Harris to make a difference come September.

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