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Wisconsin Badgers linebacker graded as best freshman defensive player in college football

A Wisconsin Badgers linebacker graded out as best freshman defensive player in the country by Pro Football Focus.
Lorin Cox|
Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Mason Posa (8) grabs the helmet of Indiana Hoosiers tight end Riley Nowakowski (37)
Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Mason Posa (8) grabs the helmet of Indiana Hoosiers tight end Riley Nowakowski (37) | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

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Mason Posa's first season with the Wisconsin Badgers was special by just about every measurement.

We're only just beginning to appreciate how special it was for a true freshman to play as well as he did in the middle of the defense.

The postseason honors keep coming, as PFF revealed that Posa was the highest-graded freshman on defense in all of college football this season.

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He made it onto PFF's All-Freshman team across all of college football, and he was the second highest-graded freshman overall behind breakout Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney.

Posa led the Badgers in tackles despite not taking over as a starter until halfway through the season.

The former four-star recruit out of Albuquerque also added four sacks, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles this season as an all-around play-maker.

He graded out as the 11th best linebacker in the country this season by PFF, and he was the only linebacker in the country to grade above an 80.0 in every category: run defense, tackling, pass rushing and pass coverage.

Related: Mason Posa is trying to help recruit top transfer portal QB to Wisconsin Badgers

The most exciting part is that he can continue to get even better, with plenty of room for improvement to become one of the best linebackers in the country.

He graded out well despite missing seven tackles this season, which meant he missed a tackle on about 10 percent of his attempts.

He also allowed 22 catches on 22 targets in coverage, giving up 192 yards and three touchdowns for a passer rating of 142.6 when targeted.

The fact that Posa graded so well while also having flaws to his game illustrates just how impactful he was on all the positive plays he made.

This season was the beginning of something special, and he's going to be a frequent member of award lists over each of the next three years.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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