All Badgers

Wisconsin football fall camp preview: Fullback

The players to watch, storylines to follow, and the biggest questions for the Wisconsin Badgers at fullback entering the 2022 season.

Matt Belz

In this story:

It is mid-July, which means we are just weeks away from Big Ten Media Days and the beginning of fall camp for the Wisconsin Badgers football team.

Contents

  1. Roster breakdown
  2. Projected depth chart
  3. Returning career production
  4. Position overview
  5. Young player to watch
  6. Biggest question

The Badgers enter the 2022 season looking to improve upon their 9-4 record from a year ago and aim to get back to the Big Ten Championship Game after missing out on a Big Ten West title in 2021.

After a busy off-season filled with coaching changes, recruiting news, and transfer additions, football is nearly back. With that in mind, it is time to preview each position group leading up to the start of fall camp. 

Other position previews:

Up next, in our rolling set of previews, we turn our attention to the fullbacks.

Jackson Acker was the No. 1 fullback for most of the spring after splitting time at running back and fullback in 2021.  / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Roster breakdown

Coaches:

Returning players:

  • Riley Nowakowski (SO) 6-foot-1, 237 lbs
  • Jackson Acker (RS FR) 6-foot-1, 232 lbs
  • Garrison Solliday (RS FR) 5-foot-11, 229 lbs

Projected depth chart

Starter: Jackson Acker

Backup: Riley Nowakowski

Third-string: Garrison Solliday

Returning career production

Name

Games Played

Stats

Jackson Acker

2

6 carries, 34 yards, 1 touchdown

Riley Nowakowski

6

1 special teams tackle

Position overview

Wisconsin is one of the remaining schools in college football that showcase the fullback position in their offense. 

With John Chenal off chasing his dreams in the NFL, the Badgers came into the spring looking for answers at the position. After 15 spring practices, it seems like they have found an answer in Jackson Acker.

The Verona (Wis.) native saw the majority of reps at fullback this spring and displayed some elusiveness with the ball in his hands as a pass-catcher. Acker saw action in two games as a true freshman last year, earning reps at both fullback and running back in 2021. A former high school tailback, Acker made the most of his carries a year ago, running back 34 yards and a touchdown on only six attempts, all of which came against Rutgers and Northwestern. 

I was impressed with Acker's ability as a blocker in the fall, and I think he is the most dynamic option at fullback and has plenty of untapped potential. 

Acker is not the only fullback in contention for reps come the fall though. Walk-ons Riley Nowakowski and Garrison Solliday each participated in spring ball and showed promise. I was particularly impressed by Nowakowski in the practices I saw, and I think he will have a bigger role in the offense this fall. The Milwaukee product is also a former high school running back, and he is versatile enough to help the Badgers out at fullback or tight end if needed.

Entering fall camp, I think Acker and Nowakowski will each see the field plenty this season and form a solid rotation at fullback. 

Behind them, I think Garrison Solliday is more than capable of helping the team out. I think he will be utilized on special teams this year, and he adds some nice depth to the position group. I don't envision the Badgers using three fullbacks all that much, so Solliday's reps on offense might be fewer in 2021, but I believe he could be a contributor down the road. 

Young player to watch

While I am high on what Nowakowski could bring to the fullback group, the upside of Jackson Acker is undeniable. A former three-star recruit from inside the state, Acker was an early commit for the Badgers in the 2020 recruiting class and came to Wisconsin with the size to play multiple different positions. A standout in track and field, Acker's blend of strength and speed made him a great high school running back, but his physical abilities also made linebacker and fullback a possibility as well. 

After working with the running backs during fall camp last season, mid-season injuries and the surprise transfer of Quan Easterling provided the opportunity for Acker to earn practice and game reps at fullback. 

Acker then carried that momentum into the spring, where he was a bright spot for the offense. His running back background and abilities as a receiver make him an intriguing playmaker for new offensive coordinator Bobby Engram to use in the offense. For example, in the final practice of the spring, he caught a swing pass out of the backfield from Graham Mertz that would have resulted in a nice gain, and I could see the Badgers working to find ways to get the ball in his hands given his talent level as a runner. 

I still think there will be room in the offense for Riley Nowakowski as well, but I think that Acker presents some exciting possibilities if he can continue to develop as an every-down fullback. 

Biggest question

Another player to watch in fall camp is tight end Cam Large. He missed the spring with an injury but spent the latter part of the 2021 season working with the fullbacks in practice and saw action in three games as a hybrid tight end and blocking fullback.

Where he factors into the equation at fullback will be fascinating to watch this fall. 

At 6-foot-3 and weighing 234 pounds, Large has the size to play either tight end or fullback for the Badgers, and he demonstrated his abilities as a blocker in fall camp last season. Assuming he is healthy, Wisconsin could look to get him on the field as an extra blocker, with fullback a natural spot to use him. The Badgers have a great deal of uncertainty in the tight end room right now, so the health of the room overall will play a role in where Large earns reps, but he is a talented player that the staff has made an effort to get on the field already.

A former three-star recruit in the 2020 class, Large chose Wisconsin over offers from Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State, each of which he took official visits with over the summer before his senior year of high school. If the Badgers feel comfortable about where they are at tight end in fall camp, I would not be shocked to see him on the field as a fullback, and he could push his way into the two-deep at fullback rather quickly. 

Related links:

You can keep up to date on everything at All Badgers by liking + following our Facebook page and Twitter account:

Facebook - @AllBadgersSI
Twitter - @SI_AllBadgers

You can also follow Site Publisher Matt Belz at @savedbythebelz on Twitter.

Published
Matt Belz
MATT BELZ

Title: Publisher, Beat Writer for AllBadgers.com, a Sports Illustrated Channel Hello, my name is Matt Belz, and I am the site manager at All Badgers. I previously wrote for multiple years at Buckeyes 5th Quarter and have been the leading publisher here since March of 2022.  When I am not covering the Wisconsin Badgers football and men's basketball teams, I enjoy being outside and spending time with family and friends.  You can follow everything I write about on several different platforms. First and foremost on our site...AllBadgers.com You can follow me personally on Twitter at @savedbythebelz or check out our Facebook page at Wisconsin FanNation on Sports Illustrated.

Home/Football