Wisconsin’s offense has drawn plenty of attention this season, but the Badgers are also getting noticed for what they’re doing on defense. Linebackers Cooper Catalano and Mason Posa have both been named semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which honors the nation’s top defensive player.
The Badgers are one of 18 programs represented on the semifinalist list, and they’re one of only two schools with multiple players in the mix. Georgia is the other.
Catalano has piled up 90 tackles this season, which leads the Big Ten, and his play has started to turn heads on a national level. He had already picked up some recognition earlier in the year, and this is another nod to how consistently he’s performed for Wisconsin.
Posa has been right there with him. He ranks fourth in the Big Ten with 73 tackles and has given the Badgers another steady presence in the middle of the field.
For Wisconsin, the bigger picture is even more encouraging. Catalano and Posa are both sophomores, and they’re part of a linebacker group that also includes outside backer Sebastian Cheeks. All three have the look of future NFL players, and together they’ve given Wisconsin a young, talented core on defense.
That matters for a team that has had its share of issues against the Big Ten’s top competition. The Badgers still have questions to answer on both sides of the ball, but Catalano and Posa have shown they can hold their own against the conference’s best.
Three Bednarik Award finalists will be announced Nov. 24. Whether Wisconsin gets one or both of its linebackers into that final group, the Badgers already have plenty to feel good about with the recognition Catalano and Posa have earned.
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Wisconsin Heads To Maryland With One Huge Question About Ryan Hopkins
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Marylands defense has struggled nationally against the pass, which gives Wisconsin a chance to see how Hopkins handles a different kind of road test. But the Terrapins are not without answers, because their quarterback and secondary have shown enough effectiveness to make this more than just a favorable matchup on paper. For Wisconsin, it is a useful early measuring stick, and for Hopkins, it is another chance to prove the debut was only the beginning. [Read more 🡒]
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Wisconsin Pass Rusher Sebastian Cheeks Is Forcing His Way Into Draft Buzz
Wisconsins defense has been one of the nations most productive units in 2026, and Sebastian Cheeks has been a big reason why. The outside linebacker has emerged as a disruptive force for the Badgers, leading the team in sacks while also ranking among the national leaders in total pressures, a sign of how much his game has sharpened in his final college season.
NFL draft buzz has followed quickly. Analyst Nate Tice has singled out Cheeks as a player whose performance is starting to look like that of a potential late first-round pick, which says plenty about the leap he has made this fall. For Wisconsin, it is another reminder that a defense built on depth and consistency now has a pass rusher drawing real attention from the next level. [Read more 🡒]