Wisconsin’s linebacker room has found a spark in Cooper Catalano and Mason Posa, and the buzz around the sophomore duo is already loud. They arrived late last season and immediately changed the feel of Mike Tressel’s defense, bringing production across the board - run stops, tackles for loss, sacks, forced fumbles and coverage snaps that showed just how much they can handle.
That kind of early success can bring a dangerous amount of hype, especially for two players who still haven’t spent a full season as every-game starters. Yet both linebackers sound more grounded than starstruck, even as their names get tossed into conversations usually reserved for established Badger greats.
For Catalano, the comparisons come easily. He wears the number and plays middle linebacker with the kind of versatility that makes fans think of Chris Borland. Catalano knows exactly what that means.
“It's a great honor to even be mentioned with guys like Chris Borland,” Catalano said. “I think I do a good job of staying level-headed because from an early age, my parents taught me being humble is a really important thing, and I think the coaches are doing a great job with that as well.”
Catalano played in all 12 games last season and made five starts, then delivered his best performance against Washington with 19 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack to win Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors. He hinted at that kind of impact throughout the year, but once he stepped into a full-time starting role, the disruptive ability showed up in a bigger way.
That growth was on display again on the first day of fall camp, when he dropped into coverage and came down with a leaping interception. Everyone already knows he can attack the run and live in the backfield; the next step is creating turnovers and flipping the field. That could be the piece that pushes him into all-conference territory.
Posa has had his own brush with the spotlight. He’s not from Wisconsin, but he’s still noticed the way fans have started measuring him against past Badger linebackers.
One offseason social media post asking “who would you rather have?” caught his eye, and among the names was T.J.
Edwards.
That one stuck with him.
“Why am I even being compared to these guys? These guys are in the NFL.
They made a huge legacy here,” Posa said. “I played one season, so it doesn't really make sense, but I just feel honored to be compared to those greats.”
The accolades are already piling up for him too. Posa has earned third-team All-Big Ten recognition from coaches and Freshman All-American honors from numerous outlets. Still, he’s clear-eyed about how much more there is to prove.
His defining moment last season came against Washington, when he got to Demond Williams in the backfield, forced a fumble and recovered it to set up Wisconsin’s only touchdown. It was the kind of play that turns heads, but Posa has been even more focused on getting Wisconsin back to winning.
That’s where the story sits right now. Catalano and Posa have done enough to look like breakout players, maybe even the start of something special.
But both linebackers are treating the praise like background noise. For them, the real job is much simpler: help Wisconsin win again.
“I feel like me and Cooper haven't done enough to compare the great linebackers here,” Posa said.
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