MADISON, Wis. -- Slowly but surely, Wisconsin's tight end room is gaining strength.

On Wednesday morning, UW officials announced that Zander Neuville has officially been given the OK to play for Wisconsin this season after having been granted a sixth year of eligibility. When he will actually take the field, though, has yet to be determined.

"Sixth-year TE Zander Neuville has been cleared to play for the #Badgers and began light practice activities this week," Wisconsin Athletics Assistant Director of Brand Communications' Brian Mason tweeted. "There is no timetable yet on when he will begin playing in games."

Earlier this month, the Badgers shared the news that Neuville would be returning to the football program, but as he continued to work his way back from an injury that cut his senior season short, he wouldn't necessarily be on the field right away. The knee injury sidelined him just before Wisconsin's Oct. 6 matchup with Nebraska last year.

"You are excited for him," head coach Paul Chryst said after Neuville's return was announced. "Not everyone has that opportunity to do what he’s doing right now, but his senior season didn’t end the way, at all, or didn’t even start the way he pictured it. And so to have a second chance at that-- and we’ve got to be smart and learn from the things we can learn from, but I hope everything kinda continues to go along the way we think and hope it may.

"It would be really neat. Every guy, you want to have the ability for that to be your best year, whatever that means."

Neuville walked on for Wisconsin in 2015, and started out his career as a defensive end before making the switch to offense in 2016. By the end of his five years with the Badgers, he had played in 42 games total, making 14 starts at tight end where he caught 10 passes for 84 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Perhaps his strongest weapon as a tight end, however, has been his blocking ability--something that would nicely balance current starting tight end Jake Ferguson's talents as a receiver.

Neuville can't get on the field fast enough for Wisconsin. Ferguson currently serves as one of very few healthy tight ends on the Badgers' roster--and even he had a procedure on his left hand this fall. Additionally, though he's still an underclassman, Ferguson stands as the most experienced.

As expected, he earned the No. 1 slot on Wisconsin's depth chart for their opener against South Florida, and will be backed up by redshirt freshman Jack Eschenbach. The Badgers had some wiggle room when Luke Benzschawel and Gabe Lloyd were healthy, but the former suffered an apparent re-injury to his right knee and is out indefinitely, and the latter is out for the season.