2026 Football Roster
Roster
Cooper Catalano
- Event:
- cat-ahl-LAN-oh
- Class:
- Sophomore
- Position:
- LB
- Hometown:
- Richfield, Wis.
- High School:
- Germantown
- Height:
- 6-1
- Weight:
- 232
- Major:
- Undecided
Honors and Awards
2025: Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (Nov. 9)
2026 Season: Posted 9 tackles in the season opener against Notre Dame (Sept. 6) ... logged 13 tackles, including 8 solo stops, against Western Illinois (Sept. 12) ... recorded his first career fumble recovery and returned the ball for a score in the win over Eastern Michigan (Sept. 19) – Was the Badgers' first scoop and score since 2019 ... totaled 9 tackles in UW's road win over No. 13 Penn State
2025 Season: Played in all 12 games, making five starts at linebacker as a true freshman … finished the season with 56 tackles, 2.0 sacks and 4.5 TFLs… earned the Big Ten Defensive player of the Week award for his breakout performance vs. Washington (Nov. 8) … finished the game with 19 tackles, 2.0 TFLs and his first career sack … posted the most tackles for a Power 4 freshman since 2017 and the most for any Badger since Mike Taylor registered 22 in 2011 … became the first Big Ten player to have 19 tackles and a sack in a game since 2018.posted seven tackles, including five solo stops, against Ohio State (Oct. 18) … posted eight tackles in his first-career start at Oregon (Oct. 25) … had five tackles including a sack at Indiana (Nov. 15) … finished the season with 10 tackles at Minnesota (Nov. 29)
2025 Highlights
- Rated as a three-star composite recruit
- Named Wisconsin large school defensive player of the year in 2024, totaling 178 tackles, nine TFLs, three forced fumbles and three interceptions
- Set the Wisconsin state high school career tackling record during his senior season in 2024, eclipsing 462 tackles - finished his career with 583 tackles
- Three-time conference defensive player of the year
- Earned all-conference honors during all four seasons of high school football
- Made 120 tackles as a freshman
- High school coach was Jake Davis
- Son of Jim and Jenny Catalano
- Sister, Tatum, plays volleyball at UW-Milwaukee
- Intends to study Business at Wisconsin
- Favorite Badger is Leo Chenal
