Six Badgers earn Big Ten accolades
December 03, 2025 | Football
Mason Posa earned third-team All-Big Ten honors and others land honorable mention accolades
MADISON, Wis. - All-Big Ten defensive and special teams selections were revealed by the conference on Wednesday afternoon. Wisconsin freshman linebacker Mason Posa earned third team All-Big Ten honors, voted on by the conference's head coaches.
Posa, who did not play significant defensive snaps until midway through the season, finished as the Badgers' leading tackler, registering 61 stops. He posted double-digit tackles in three straight games during conference play and earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for his performance in Wisconsin's win over No. 23 Washington on Nov. 18. His 61 tackles were the most by a Badger freshman since T.J. Edwards recorded 84 in 2015.
LB Christian Alliegro, OLB Darryl Peterson, OLB Mason Reiger, CB Ricardo Hallman and Vinny Anthony II (special teams) all earned honorable mention accolades.
MASON POSA
3rd coaches / Honorable mention media
Freshman - Linebacker - Albuquerque, N.M.
Posa, the Badgers' 2025 leading-tackler, made 11 stops, 2.5 sacks and forced and recovered the same fumble in Wisconsin’s win over No. 23 Washington (Nov. 18). The forced turnover helped set up the Badgers’ only touchdown in the game. He also ended the game with a fourth-down sack, helping seal Wisconsin’s first win over a ranked team since 2021. Posa was named the Big Ten and Shaun Alexander Award Freshman of the Week for his performance.
Posa joined Leo Chenal and Andrew Van Ginkel as the last three Badgers to have 10+ tackles and 2.0+ sacks in a single game.
Since October 15, Posa led all Power 4 freshmen with 54 tackles during the remainder of the regular season. Classmate Cooper Catalano ranked second amongst that group with 50 stops.
During the regular season, Posa led all Power 4 freshmen with an 89.8 PFF defensive grade. Posa was the only linebacker in the nation to post grades above 80.0 for rush defense, tackling, pass rush and coverage.
CHRISTIAN ALLIEGRO
Honorable mention coaches / Honorable mention media
Junior - Linebacker - Darien, Conn.
Alliegro was a key fixture at the center of the Badger defense, playing 10 games and making eight starts at linebacker. Alliegro injured his arm during the Badgers’ matchup versus Ohio State (Oct. 18) and returned to finish the game and make a pair of TFLs.
Alliegro returned to action at Indiana (Nov. 15) and made sacks in both of the final two games (vs. Illinois, at Minnesota).
He finished the season with 53 tackles (34 solos), including 8.0 TFLs and 4.0 sacks. He now has 50+ tackles and 5.0+ TFLs in back-to-back seasons.
RICARDO HALLMAN
Honorable mention coaches / Honorable mention media
Graduate student - Cornerback - Miami, Fla.
In his final season as a Badger, CB Ricardo Hallman tied for the UW lead with a pair of interceptions. Hallman finishes his Wisconsin career with 10 interceptions, the most for a Badger since T.J. Edwards posted 10 from 2015-18.
Hallman is just the 9th player in program history to post 10+ INTs.
Hallman finished with 32 tackles, just two shy of his career-high total from 2023 (34).
Hallman was also Wisconsin’s male honoree for the Big Ten’s Jackie Robinson Award. The award recognizes student-athletes at Big Ten institutions who strive to have a positive impact not only in their chosen sport, but also within their community.
DARRYL PETERSON III
Honorable mention media
Graduate student - Outside Linebacker - Akron, Ohio
Peterson finished his Badger career on a high note, leading UW with 11.5 TFLs and 6.5 sacks. Peterson shined on Senior Night in Wisconsin’s win over No. 21 Illinois (Nov. 22), posting 3.0 sacks, two PBUs and a forced fumble.
That performance followed up a 2.5-sack outing at No. 2 Indiana on Nov. 15. Peterson’s 6.5 sacks in 2025 were a career high and ranked T-8th in the Big Ten.
Finishing with 35 in 2025, Peterson collected 25+ tackles in each of the last four seasons for the Badgers.
MASON REIGER
Honorable mention media
Graduate student - Outside Linebacker - Hoffman Estates, Ill.
In his lone season at Wisconsin, Reiger was a difference-maker off of the edge for the Badgers. Reiger finished with 33 total tackles, including 6.0 TFLs and 5.0 sacks.
Reiger finished the regular season with the fourth-best PFF defensive grade (82.7) among Big Ten edge players. That was the highest defensive grade for a Badger edge player since Nick Herbig in 2022 (87.4).
Reiger made a tackle in all 12 games and posted shares of TFLs in four of the season’s final five games.
VINNY ANTHONY II
Honorable mention coaches / Honorable mention media
Senior - Wide Receiver/Returner - Louisville, Ky.
Anthony earned honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition on special teams for his contributions as the Badgers’ kick returner in 2025. Anthony ranked second in the Big Ten and seventh nationally with a 27.9 kick return average. He found the end zone on a 95-yard touchdown return at Alabama (Sept. 13).
He became the first FBS player this season, and the first Big Ten player since Jaylin Lucas (Indiana, 2023) to catch a TD, rush for a TD and return a kickoff for a TD in the same season. He’s the first Badger to accomplish the feat since WR Michael Jones in 1984.
On offense, he led the Badgers with 31 catches for 391 yards and a score. He added 27 yards rushing and a pair of scores across five carries.
