Wisconsin’s linebackers may be the headline act for the Badgers this season, but the schedule is loaded with second-level talent that could make life difficult all fall.
As Week 1 nears, the Badgers are continuing their rundown of the top players at each position among Wisconsin’s 12 regular-season opponents. After taking a look at the best pass rushers on the slate, the focus shifts inside to linebacker - where Wisconsin’s own duo of sophomore standouts Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano gives the group real juice, but the opposing cast is no joke.
There’s even an added wrinkle with UCLA’s Trent Hendrick, who recently gained eligibility for a fifth season after transferring from James Madison. Still, with eligibility rulings and court decisions creating uncertainty across college football, the list starts with a player whose 2026 status is settled: Michigan State’s Jordan Hall.
Hall is a major piece for new Spartans head coach Pat Fitzgerald, and last season he was everywhere. He led Michigan State with 88 tackles, including 47 solo stops, while also piling up 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, an interception and a pass defended in 12 games. That production came despite him dealing with multiple injuries, including turf toe and a strained oblique.
At 6-foot-3 and 249 pounds, the senior brings a strong feel for the game and the athleticism to impact plays all over the field. He hasn’t drawn a ton of national attention, maybe because expectations around Michigan State have been muted, but he has All-Big Ten and NFL Draft potential. Hall is also one of six team captains, and he’ll be leading the Spartans’ defense when they come to Camp Randall Stadium in Week 5.
Penn State’s Tony Rojas is another name Wisconsin has to circle. The redshirt junior was rolling before a torn ACL ended his season in late September.
Through four games, he had 25 tackles, 13 solo stops, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and a pass defended. His absence showed up quickly, too, as Penn State gave up 42 points in its first game without him and finished 7-6 after entering the year with much bigger expectations.
Rojas is listed at 6-foot-2 and 236 pounds and has rare speed for the position, along with real value in coverage. The big question is how his explosiveness looks after a major injury, though he should have help next to Iowa State transfer Kooper Ebel, who is expected to wear the green dot and handle communication for the defense. Wisconsin gets Rojas and the Nittany Lions in Week 4 in Happy Valley to open Big Ten play.
Minnesota’s Devon Baranowski comes next, and he’s built his reputation the hard way. The fifth-year senior kept climbing year after year, then turned in a huge 2025 season with 103 tackles, 52 solo stops, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble and a pass defended in 13 games. He capped it with a monster showing in the Rate Bowl against New Mexico, finishing with 17 tackles, 13 solo, and a sack.
Baranowski is the engine of the Gophers’ defense. At 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, he plays with a relentless motor, attacks the run without hesitation and holds up in coverage, too. If Wisconsin wants to keep Paul Bunyan’s Axe, slowing him down in the Week 13 matchup in Madison will matter.
Maryland’s Daniel Wingate broke out in a big way in 2025 and enters this season with a strong case as the Terrapins’ top defender, maybe even their best player overall. The Bowie, Maryland native started all 12 games and posted 102 tackles, 62 solo stops, 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, a pass defended and a pick-six. One of his best outings came against Wisconsin, when he made 11 tackles, seven solo, and added a sack in the early-season win at Camp Randall Stadium.
Wingate has the frame to match the production. At 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, he uses his size to fight through traffic and finish plays.
He’s excellent against the run and has strong instincts, though there’s still room for growth in coverage. Wisconsin will see him again in Week 11 on the road.
At the top of the list sits Notre Dame’s linebacker group, and that’s because it’s not really a one-man show. The Fighting Irish bring back a loaded trio in Jaiden Ausberry, Drayk Bowen and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, and Wisconsin opens the season against all three in Week 1 at Lambeau Field.
Viliamu-Asa comes into 2026 with major hype after The Athletic named him a preseason First-Team All-American. Before a torn ACL in late November, he put together 48 tackles, 25 solo, 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, an interception, a fumble recovery and two passes defended in 11 games. At 6-foot-3 and 234 pounds, the junior is viewed as a projected first-round pick because of his versatility, athleticism and feel for the game.
Bowen was Notre Dame’s tackle leader last season, finishing with 67 stops, 33 solo, 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and four passes defended. The senior captain is listed at 6-foot-2 and 234 pounds and wins more with toughness and effort than elite physical traits.
Ausberry is the quieter name in the group, but he’s productive in his own right. The senior posted 51 tackles, 20 solo, four tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble last season, and at 6-foot-1 and 226 pounds, he brings lateral quickness and reliable tackling ability.
Viliamu-Asa’s availability early in the season is still unclear as he comes back from the torn ACL, but even with that question mark, Wisconsin will have plenty to deal with when Notre Dame lines up in Week 1.
In Other News...
Wisconsin Adds More Mystery To A Notre Dame Opener Fans Already Distrust
The first Wisconsin-Notre Dame matchup of the season already had enough suspense attached to it, and now the Badgers have added another layer by declining to release a public depth chart for Week 1. Instead of putting out an opening snapshot of where things stand, Wisconsin said its in-season depth charts are based on previous game usage and that there was no reason to speculate before a snap had been played. Notre Dame, by comparison, did put its depth chart on the record.
What makes the choice stand out is where it reportedly came from. The decision was said to be made by the Sports Information Director, not the coaching staff, which only adds to the sense that Wisconsin is keeping things unusually close to the vest heading into the opener. For a fan base already suspicious of anything that could tilt the chess match before kickoff, the move leaves one more unanswered question about how the Badgers plan to line up when the game finally starts. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Fans Are Pushing For One QB In A Real Camp Battle
Fall camp has given Wisconsin a real look at the quarterback depth chart behind Colton Joseph, and the fight for the No. 2 job has become one of the more closely watched battles in Madison. True freshman Ryan Hopkins and Louisville transfer Deuce Adams have both flashed enough to keep the conversation going, while fans have already made their preference known in a poll that tilted toward Hopkins.
Still, the race is not as simple as popularity, and Adams brings the kind of experience that can matter when a coaching staff is deciding who is best prepared to step in. The backup call has not been made yet, and for the Badgers it may come down less to who looked best in camp and more to who is ready for the first real game situation when the lights come on. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Still Faces One Uncomfortable Truth About Luke Fickell
Luke Fickells first three seasons in Madison have left Wisconsin in an uncomfortable place, with the Badgers sitting at 16-21 under his watch and the win totals sliding each year. After going 7-6, then 5-7, then 4-8, the program is now being measured less by the promise of the hire and more by whether it can simply steady itself. A recent USA TODAY projection suggests a modest bump could be coming in 2026, with Wisconsin penciled in for a 6-6 finish overall and 4-5 in Big Ten play.
There is at least some reason for optimism in the schedule, since the 2026 slate leaves out a few of the leagues traditional heavyweights and gives the Badgers a path that looks a little less punishing. Still, the larger question remains the one Wisconsin has been unable to answer for three years: whether Fickell can turn a program that was expected to rise quickly into one that actually does more than hover around mediocrity. The next season may offer a friendlier opening, but it will also bring another round of scrutiny if the results do not match the setup. [Read more 🡒]