Wisconsin confident position change can unlock 'incredible year' for Jackson Acker
Jackson Acker’s career at Wisconsin will come to a close with one final position change—moving to tight end for his last season in the football program.
Jackson Acker’s time with the Wisconsin football program has been a rollercoaster ride, to say the least. However, Acker's willingness to embrace any role that's been asked of him—regardless of staff—speaks volumes about his selflessness.
Originally hailing from nearby Verona High School, Acker signed with the Badgers as an athlete in the 2021 recruiting class. The former three-star recruit began his Wisconsin career as a running back under Paul Chryst, bringing a unique blend of size and athleticism to the team's backfield mix.
At 6-foot-1, 250 pounds, the physicality was always there—it was just a matter of figuring out the best way to deploy it.
So, from the moment Acker stepped onto campus, his role has been in a constant state of evolution—and it still isn't settled.
After starting out as a running back, Acker was moved to fullback during his sophomore season, only to transition back to tailback, where he's played the last two seasons due to Phil Longo’s Air Raid offense eliminating the fullback role.
In 2024, Acker saw limited action, logging just one carry for four yards while hauling in five receptions for 29 yards across 86 total snaps—51 of which came as a blocker.
Despite the small sample size, he earned a 72.8 receiving grade from Pro Football Focus, landing in the 85th percentile.
Now, heading into his fifth and final season, Acker is making one last change—this time to tight end—a move that speaks to his versatility and also how the coaching staff envisions his best fit in Jeff Grimes’ NFL style system.
"I think it depends on your personnel, what those guys do best," Grimes said of his philosophy on offense. "I would say we're an NFL-style offense—we will play like most NFL teams do.
"If you watch Sunday football, we will look more like that than most college teams. That means a variety in terms of personnel groups, a variety in formations, a lot of presentation pre-snap shift and motion."
This move isn’t just about switching positions—it’s about Acker doing what he’s always done: stepping up where the team needs him most that given season.
Head coach Luke Fickell has been particularly impressed with Acker's development, both on and off the field.
“If there’s a guy that I think in the last two years that has grown in my mind an incredible amount, it’s him, and it’s not just as a football player,” Fickell told reporters. “I just mean as a leader, a guy with the toughness side of things.”
In 2023, Fickell's first season at Wisconsin, Acker totaled 430 yards from scrimmage—rushing for 322 yards and two touchdowns at a 4.5 yards per carry clip while adding 19 receptions for 108 yards and a score.
Acker’s versatility was on display against Nebraska when he hauled in a 26-yard touchdown on a wheel route from Tanner Mordecai, showing he can be a reliable piece in multiple facets of the offense.
With spring football underway, coach Fickell sees Acker playing an important role for Wisconsin this upcoming season.
“He’s one of those guys I think that is in a position to have an incredible year,” said Fickell. “A lot of the things that we’re doing have a better chance for him to be put in a position where he can highlight the things that give him the greatest chance to help us but also to have a future in this game.”
As Wisconsin installs Grimes’ new offensive system, Acker’s move to tight end, in some ways, is about necessity.
The scheme utilizes a lot of pre-snap motion, multiple ball carriers, and some two tight-end sets, blending the program's traditional physicality with a more modern, balanced offensive attack.
With Riley Nowakowski transferring to Indiana, Acker is in line to take on some of those vacated offensive snaps (410), giving Wisconsin another option as a blocker and in the short to intermediate passing game.
He could also be a factor in short-yardage situations and provide emergency depth to a running back room that isn’t particularly deep should injuries occur.
With his combination of size, blocking ability, and experience carrying the ball, Acker profiles as more of an H-back in this system—a hybrid role that allows him to move around the formation, contribute as a lead blocker, and slip into open space as a pass-catcher to keep defense’s honest.
In many ways, Acker's position switch to tight end is the final piece of his winding journey at Wisconsin. Nevertheless, this move isn’t just about plugging a roster hole or replacing depth due to Rob Booker's retirement; it’s about finding ways to utilize his versatile skill set and maximize his impact on the field.
Acker isn’t going to be counted on to lead this room—far from it. The Badgers went out and brought in Tanner Koziol from the transfer portal to give Wisconsin a proven pass-catching threat, while multi-year starter Tucker Ashcraft also returns and figures to slot into the No. 2 role.
That leaves the remaining snaps to be filled by guys like Acker and JT Seagreaves—unless one of the younger players steps up and pushes for time.
With a scheme that values tight ends, Acker has a chance to carve out a steady role—primarily as a blocker, with some opportunities as a leak-out pass-catcher or an emergency option in the backfield.
While Acker won’t be a focal point in the Badgers offense, he could become a valuable rotational player who helps Wisconsin’s staff get the most out of its personnel under Grimes.
"I see a real excitement about learning something new, and I sense a hunger to prove that this can be a good offense and that we can get Wisconsin back to what it's known for," said Grimes.
This could be the season where everything finally comes together for Acker—a player who has always put the team first.
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