The new college football season is almost here and Wisconsin Badgers are ready with head coach Luke Fickell expressing faith in his players who showed up and made improvements during the training camp.
The coaching staff are expected to rely more on the veterans but some freshmen have them impressed. Defensive coordinator Mike Tressel specifically see Cooper Catalano and Mason Posa as among those who can challenge for defensive roles.
“Some of the slippery things, where he is really hard to block, that you saw in high school, you are seeing it out here,” Tressel told Badger 247 Sports when asked about Posa.
“He is, much like Cooper, a pretty sharp kid when he is on the football field. Doesn’t give a ****. He just goes.”
Catalona is a 6’1 linebacker who is the pride of Germantown. Posa, meanwhile, is from Albuquerque and is a wrestler who won two New Mexico 5A state titles with the La Cueva High School while also playing football.
Cam Wilhorn of Sports Illustrated said the duo might climb the linebacker depth chart which is currently owned by Christian Alliegro, Tackett Curtis, Aaron Witt, and Thomas Heiberger.
Luke Fickell has message to Wisconsin Badgers freshmen
The first year for freshmen in any sports is the time they spend more time studying the game. Opportunities come here and there but compared to the older ones, they need to do more to prove themselves.
For Fickell, one important thing they need to accomplish is consistency.
“Consistency in any young guy is going to be really the key,” he said.
Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“Can you trust that guys can be consistent enough to go out there and do what they need to do in the role that they have?”
Badgers will open the 2025 season against the Miami RedHawks on August 28. They are coming to the new season with the hopes of improving from their last season’s finish and with chip on their shoulders with many critics counting them off already.
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