You can pick any number of reasons that the Badgers are coming off their worst campaign since 1990; bad coaching, horrible injury luck , a brutal schedule or whatever else you fancy.
But eventually, you'll be confronted with the harsh and unescapable truth: Wisconsin simply didn't have a lot of great players .
The Badgers' roster had some big question marks even before the injury bug ripped through the roster. But a few injuries to key starters later , and Wisconsin was rendered largely ineffective on both sides of the ball.
The Badgers' offense was horrific all season, and despite cycling through four quarterbacks and finally finding a center who could execute a shotgun snap, it didn't improve as the year wore on.
The same can't be said for the defense. Outside of a couple games against College Football Playoff teams and, inexplicably, Iowa, Wisconsin's defense was actually rather stout.
The key catalyst the Badgers' defense evolving? The emergence of two young studs at inside linebacker, true freshmen Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano.
The pair started the final five games of the season and didn't look back, finishing first and second on the team in tackles, respectively.
Posa and Catalano, outside of outside linebacker Mason Reiger, were easily the best two players on the Badgers' 2025 defense. After an offseason featuring an influx of cash and transfers, Wisconsin's defense looks poised to improve from last fall.
LB Mason Posa and his partner in crime, Cooper Catalano. | Christian Borman.
With fall camp well underway, Posa and Catalano both see an immensely improved defense.
"I see it in the athleticism. Everywhere, we're really athletic," Posa said after the fourth practice of fall camp.
"I see it in the secondary. J-Rob (Javan Robinson), Marvin (Burks), the three DBs that are battling for the boundary corner; Cai (Bates), Jai'mier and Eric (Fletcher), I feel like we're a lot more athletic out there and just a lot faster too. J-Rob is pretty fast...Also the front seven, having Tommy (Heiberger), adding Jon Jon (Kamara), I feel like we're diverse in a lot of areas and just a lot faster linebacker room."
Watching the 2026 Badgers practice in person, the newfound length and speed is most apparent in the secondary. These corners are lanky, physical and blazing fast. That's of course not enough to guarantee success in the defensive backfield, but it's certainly a solid building block and a way better athletic foundation than what Wisconsin had to work with last season.
Catalano also agreed that the cornerback room is completely different.
"You said what I was gonna say; we've got athletes at the position," he said. "J-Rob, Bryce (West) has been doing a great job. Eric, that whole room is just putting in work so far."
Cooper Catalano (left), Mason Posa (center) and Tuf Borland (right). | Christian Borman.
It's one thing to add size, speed and length to the roster. It's another thing to see it come to fruition on the practice field.
"The turnovers, man. Posa with the pick today, a couple punch-outs, and that's been a huge emphasis in our unit meetings with Coach Tressel. And then the second thing is just everyone running to the ball," Catalano added about the difference on defense from last year to now.
Wisconsin still must put it all together on the field this fall; ultimately, upgraded athleticism amounts to nothing if the Badgers don't improve defensively in 2026. But they've certainly got all of the tools to do just that.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/wisconsin as Posa, Catalano see Vastly Upgraded Badgers' Defense: 'We're A Lot More Athletic' .
