Preseason Recognition Keeps Rolling in for Badgers' Star LB Mason Posa

Add another preseason award watchlist to Posa's resume.

Wisconsin LB Mason Posa. | Christian Borman.

Wisconsin football's star inside linebacker has already put the nation on notice as potentially the best linebacker in the country, landing on the preseason Butkus Award Watch List.

With the season mere weeks out, the preseason honors keep rolling in for the man who's poised to be the face of the Badgers' defense as just a true sophomore.

Friday afternoon, the Maxwell Football Club released their 2026 Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List, featuring 90 players across the country. The award is presented annually to the best defensive player in college football.

2026 CHUCK BEDNARIK AWARD WATCH LIST REVEALED 📷

The Maxwell Football Club has officially released its preseason Watch List for the Chuck Bednarik Award—college football’s premier honor presented annually to the Defensive Player of the Year!

Named in honor of Chuck "Concrete… pic.twitter.com/WBkaLcBwnE

— Maxwell Football (@MaxwellFootball) August 21, 2026

Posa, somewhat unsurprisingly, is the only Badger on the list, although it wouldn't've shocked me to see his fellow inside backer Cooper Catalano included as well. Nonetheless, this is a very high honor for a player who looks primed to explode this fall.

Posa's path to Butkus recognition

Wisconsin LB Mason Posa. | Christian Borman.

Posa broke out onto the scene in Madison as a true freshman in October. He notched a team-leading 61 tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery in just 11 games played with just five starts. He was obviously a tackling machine, as evidenced by the fact that he led the Badgers in that category with just five starts to his name.

But more than that, Posa was a game-wrecker. He had a knack for creating splash plays, and he singlehandedly changed the course of Wisconsin's upset win over Washington with his strip sack/fumble recovery on Huskies' star quarterback Demond Williams. Those are the kinds of plays that you need to make to be considered the top defender in college football.

Posa has been lighting it up in fall camp. He's absolutely dominant at the weak-side linebacker spot, and he blows up play after play. Truthfully, I've never seen a more obviously monster season coming from a young defensive player. We know what Posa is capable of from last season, but he's on another level ahead of his sophomore year.