Cooper Catalano didn’t need much time to announce himself at Wisconsin. The true freshman inside linebacker stepped into a battered room last fall, grabbed a starting job against Oregon on Oct. 25, and never gave it back. By the end of the season, he and Mason Posa had become the Badgers’ top two tacklers, with Catalano putting together the kind of performance that made people take notice in a hurry.
His biggest day came against Washington, when he piled up 19 tackles, 2.0 TFLs and a sack. That wasn’t a one-off flash, either.
Catalano’s game has been built around feel and instinct from the start, and that showed up immediately in spring practice back in 2025. He reads plays fast, closes like he’s been shot out of a cannon, and brings real force against the run.
He also gives Wisconsin something extra when the staff wants to heat up the pocket.
“Cooper is more of that traditional backer with high mental capabilities, a guy that you can load up and do some of those things and operate the defense," inside backers coach Tuf Borland said this spring.
That description fits the way Catalano plays. He looks like a natural fit in the middle of the defense, and alongside Posa, he gives Wisconsin what might be the best inside linebacker duo in the Big Ten and maybe the country.
Posa brings the flash plays. Catalano brings the clean-up work, the volume, the relentless tackling.
That’s why a monster statistical season is on the table.
A 120-tackle year for Catalano in 2026 is absolutely believable. So is a line with around five sacks, a few batted passes and a couple of turnovers forced. He’s not just a pile-up tackler, either; there’s enough disruption in his game to make him more than a stat-sheet filler.
If Catalano keeps climbing the way he did as a freshman, Wisconsin may end up with the most dangerous one-two punch at inside linebacker in the conference. In a perfect world for the Badgers, both he and Posa are stuffing the box score all fall, and by the end of the season there’s a real argument over which one is the better linebacker. The one thing that wouldn’t be up for debate is that both are All-American-caliber players.
“There’s no doubt that those two have modeled everything we want to be from a program standpoint. From effort, energy, the way that they play the game is the way everyone should play the game," Borland continued.
The only real downside scenario for Catalano would come if Wisconsin’s defense fell apart around him. In that case, he and Posa could be forced to carry too much of the load - rushing, run-stopping and covering in space all at once - and that kind of strain could slow his growth.
Still, the expectation here is clear: Catalano is set to break out nationally in 2026. Posa is close behind him, but both should become names people know well by the end of the fall. And if things go the way they look capable of going, Wisconsin may be watching two defensive stars who still have another year of college football left before the NFL comes calling.
In Other News...
Badgers Suddenly Have A Real Concern About Owen Foxwell
The Badgers have spent the early stretch of the season sorting out roles, minutes and the usual college basketball growing pains, but Owen Foxwell has suddenly become part of a very different kind of conversation. The 23-year-old guard is now caught up in a new eligibility wrinkle involving NCAA rules and NBA draft mechanics, a rare overlap that can create complications for players with overseas backgrounds.
What makes the situation worth watching from Wisconsins side is not just the paperwork, but the possibility that it could affect Foxwells availability while the season is still going. The rule combination is unusual enough to keep the door open, even if the chance of anything dramatic is considered slim, and it gives the Badgers one more roster issue to monitor as they move through the winter. [Read more 🡒]
Jon Jon Kamara Could Unlock Something Different In Wisconsin's Defense
Jon Jon Kamara arrived in Madison with a reputation for athleticism and versatility, and Wisconsin appears ready to use that in a role that asks a little more of its linebackers than the usual downhill work. The transfer is expected to fit as the STAR inside linebacker in 2026, a spot that can give the Badgers more flexibility in the middle of the defense while still keeping one of their more intriguing newcomers on the field in meaningful situations.
Kamara is not walking into an easy path for snaps, but he is already viewed as an important piece of the defensive plan and a key backup behind Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano. If he settles into that package role the way Wisconsin hopes, the Badgers could get a bigger front without giving up coverage or pressure ability, which is exactly the kind of optionality that can matter once the season starts to tighten up. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Fickell Has Wisconsin On Verge Of Another 2028 Recruiting Win
Wisconsins 2028 recruiting class could be getting another early boost, this time up front. Brock Barrows, a three-star offensive lineman from Lees Summit West in Missouri, has become a name to watch after drawing interest from several programs and showing enough pull toward Madison to put the Badgers in a strong position.
If Barrows follows through, he would join linebacker Cale Britt as the second commitment in the class and give Luke Fickell another building block in a cycle that already has Wisconsin sitting near the top of the early national picture. For a program trying to stack talent well before signing day becomes a real conversation, landing an offensive lineman this early would be another sign the Badgers are making themselves a serious factor with 2028 prospects. [Read more 🡒]