Which Badgers Could Have a Posa, Catalano-type Breakout in 2026?

If it wasn't for the emergence of stud true freshman linebackers Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano last fall, there's a real possibility Wisconsin football finishes 2-10 and drops every game it plays against Power Four competition.

Now, the pair are locked in as the Badgers' starting inside linebacker duo, and they've got their sights set on much more.

Posa and Catalano didn't exactly come out of nowhere. The former was one of the top inside linebacker recruits in the nation, while the latter immediately displayed his nose for the football upon arriving in Madison as an early-enrollee in spring camp.

Still, their emergence was unexpected, especially given what Wisconsin had at the top of the room going into the season in Christian Alliegro and Tackett Curtis.

Posa and Catalano's monumental rise begs the question: could the Badgers have another Posa and/or Catalano-type breakout player on the roster?

In terms of true freshman, it seems highly unlikely. Wisconsin's 2026 recruiting class was decimated by its brutal 4-8 year, and few if any true freshman figure to get involved in a meaningful capacity this season.

So in a sense, no — Wisconsin is extremely unlikely to have a true freshman make the kind of impact the two inside backers made last fall.

Nonetheless, there's a couple second-year players in defense that don't currently have starting roles, but very well could by season's end. Below, Badgers On SI takes a look at two youngsters most likely to have a Posa and/or Catalano-esque breakout:

OLB Nick Clayton

Clayton was directly compared to Posa and Catalano this offseason by his position coach Matt Mitchell, who said he's "in the same category of players" as the aforementioned stud inside backers.

The twitchy pass-rusher also has some of the best get-off on the team, right up there with Sebastian Cheeks, according to Mitchell.

“The kid’s a freak. He’s a freak of nature, god has blessed him no doubt genetically. He has traits that you just can’t coach. The pass-rush, the twitch, the instincts," director of strength and conditioning Brady Collins said. "He works his ass off."

I see Clayton as the No. 3 outside backer right now behind Cheeks and Tyreese Fearbry, but if he proves his coaches right this season and is clearly the Badgers' best pass-rusher, he's certainly the kind of athlete who could have a Posa/Catalano-like impact.

Safety Cairo Skanes

Skanes is a converted cornerback who's now probably the Badgers' No. 3 or No. 4 safety in position coach Jack Cooper's room. But the 6-foot-2, 195-pound defensive back appears to have all of the traits necessary to thrive at the position.

Skanes turned some heads in spring camp, and after playing 80 snaps on defense as a true freshman across all 12 games, the coaching staff clearly has a significant amount of trust in him already.

“Cairo is another one (standing out to him on 2nd team), because he was at a different position. And I knew he was a smart kid, I knew he had the size. But that doesn’t necessarily make you a safety. So it’s been good to see him get more and more comfortable," defensive coordinator Mike Tressel said this spring.

The top of Wisconsin's safety room looks solidified with a multi-year SEC starter in Marvin Burks Jr., as well as returnee Matt Jung. But when the Badgers want to get creative with their defensive packages, Skanes presents an intriguing option as a versatile athlete who's chomping at the bit for reps.

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