Tag: Linebackers

Former Wisconsin linebacker leads Eagles in tackles for second time this season

Former Wisconsin linebacker leads Eagles in tackles for second time this season

The University of Wisconsin’s football program may just be the country’s premier ‘Linebacker-U.’

Former Badger linebacker Zack Baun threw another log onto that well-deserved fire on Sunday. The UW alumnus tallied 13 total tackles, including nine solo, in the Philadelphia Eagles’ 15-12 win over the New Orleans Saints.

Prior to the Week 3 contest, the former Badger accumulated 24 total tackles and two sacks for the Eagles against the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons. The total was enough to vault him into the No. 2 spot in total tackles across the NFL through two weeks.

With 13 more recorded on Sunday, Baun now trails only Indianapolis Colts’ safety Nick Cross in total tackles through three bouts of the 2024 slate.

Before signing with Philadelphia in March, Baun spent his first four NFL seasons in New Orleans. His previous career high in tackles for a season was 30 in 2023 and 2021. He officially shattered that on Sunday.

Outside of Baun, he Badgers currently have eight former linebackers playing in the NFL. That list includes T.J. Watt (Steelers), Nick Herbig (Steelers), Andrew Van Ginkel (Vikings), Leo Chenal (Chiefs), Maema Njongmeta (Bengals), Jack Sanborn (Bears) and T.J. Edwards (Bears).

At Wisconsin, Baun was the first consensus first-team All-America linebacker in school history in 2019 and led UW with a single-season and tallied 154 total tackles, 30.5 TFLs and 15.0 sacks from 2016-19.

Former Wisconsin linebacker continues breakout 2024 season with Vikings

Former Wisconsin linebacker continues breakout 2024 season with Vikings

Former Wisconsin linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel led the Minnesota Vikings defense in the team’s 34-7 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday.

For the third consecutive week, the former Badger game-breaker registered a sack. Van Ginkel also notched six total tackles, including one tackle for loss, and a quarterback hit.

Van Ginkel has quickly emerged as a mainstay on the Vikings’ defense after signing with the team this offseason.

The Rock Valley, Iowa, native recorded his second career pick six against the New York Giants in Week 1. Since then, he has been nearly unstoppable. He has 14 total tackles, 11 solo tackles, three sacks, two pass deflections, four QB hits, one interception and one touchdown in three games in 2024.

Here’s a clip of Van Ginkel taking down Houston’s superstar quarterback C.J. Stroud on Sunday:

During his two-year tenure at UW, the 2018 third-team All-Big Ten member started in 10 of his 27 appearances. The Iowa native logged 99 tackles, including 19.5 TFLs, and registered 2 sacks.

The Vikings will be back in action against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Sept. 29 in Wisconsin.

WATCH: Former Wisconsin linebacker’s tip leads to interception vs. Colts

WATCH: Former Wisconsin linebacker’s tip leads to interception vs. Colts

Former Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Jack Sanborn wreaked some havoc against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

Following his two-tackle, one-sack performance in Week 2 against the Houston Texans, Sanborn highlighted his Week 3 by tipping a pass from Colts’ quarterback Anthony Richardson in the red zone. The play resulted in an interception by Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.

After not recording a statistic in his first game of the season against the Tennessee Titans, Sanborn has elevated his play for a strong Bears defense. While rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has certainly struggled thus far, Chicago’s linebacker core has been impressive through three games.

Here is the full sequence:

The former UW mainstay tallied 65 tackles and an interception for the Bears in 2023. He, alongside T.J. Edwards, T.J. Watt, Andrew Van Ginkel and Leo Chenal command a powerful contingent of UW linebacker alumni in the NFL this season.

Sanborn’s Bears will square off against the Los Angeles Rams at home on Sept. 29.

WATCH: Former Wisconsin linebacker legends, brothers exchange words before Week 3

WATCH: Former Wisconsin linebacker legends, brothers exchange words before Week 3

Former Wisconsin linebacker legends J.J. and T.J. Watt caught up on the CBS pregame show before the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 3 win vs. the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

Watt, who entered the contest with seven total tackles, four solo tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, one pass deflection, one fumble recovery and five QB hits, recorded three total tackles and one sack against Jim Harbaugh’s team on Sunday afternoon.

Now a member of CBS’ NFL pregame panel, J.J. commentates alongside Matt Ryan, Nate Burleson, Bill Cowher and James Brown. Watt’s first question to his younger brother revolved around the build-up to an NFL game. Here’s what T.J. said:

“[Nick Herbig] just took over the aux from Cam Heyward, so hopefully he puts on some good tunes,” Watt said jokingly. “Just trying to get in the right head space and trying to visualize a bit. All the hard work is done, and it’s all about going out and performing now.”

The elder Watt also gifted T.J. with a custom No. 90 “dad” jersey in anticipation of the birth of his first child

Here’s the full pregame interview:

Watt now has 10 total tackles, seven solo tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks, one pass deflection, one fumble recovery and five QB hits on the season. If he continues this pace, he will pocket his second career Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Pittsburgh continues its season against the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 29.

Former Wisconsin linebacker has breakout performance for Steelers in NFL Week 3

Former Wisconsin linebacker has breakout performance for Steelers in NFL Week 3

Former Wisconsin outside linebacker Nick Herbig engineered his best performance for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their Week 3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Herbig, who entered the game with just one tackle through two games, registered three solo tackles and two sacks in the Steelers’ 20-10 triumph.

The first sack arrived on a second-down sequence at the 8:55 mark of the third quarter. Quarterback Justin Herbert took a snap in the shotgun, stepped back and was nailed by Herbig. The impact produced a fumble, but the loose ball was recovered by a Los Angeles offensive lineman.

Here’s the full clip:

Herbig’s second show-stopping sequence came in the fourth quarter against backup QB Easton Stick. With roughly seven minutes remaining in the game, Herbig peeled off the right edge and clobbered Stick for a loss of 10 yards.

The play essentially ended the Chargers’ chances of advancing down the field during the possession.

During the 2024 preseason, Herbig flashed his potential with 6 solo tackles, 3 assisted tackles, 3.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble with Pittsburgh. The former Badger played in all 17 games as during his rookie campaign for the Steelers in 2023 and will continue to see the field alongside T.J. Watt, Patrick Queen and Alex Highsmith.

Wisconsin top class of 2025 LB commit shines for La Cueva High School

Wisconsin top class of 2025 LB commit shines for La Cueva High School

Wisconsin class of 2025 linebacker commit Mason Posa dominated for La Cueva High School on Friday night.

The four-star prospect recorded seven tackles, two sacks and one blocked kick for the Bears in Albuquerque, New Mexico to kick-start the weekend. Posa also tallied nine pressures and two PBUs on Friday to help his crew secure a 45-13 victory, per 247Sports’ Nick Osen.

Posa is one of two four-star commits on the defensive side of the football in Wisconsin’s class of 2025, alongside cornerback Jaimier Scott. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound linebacker committed to Wisconsin on June 13, 2024.

247Sports considers the future Badger the No. 155 overall recruit, No. 18 linebacker and No. 1 prospect from New Mexico for the class of 2025. He was also listed on the outlet’s ‘Freak List’ in August, which features college football’s 50 ‘freakiest’ high school recruits for the class of 2025.

Posa’s instincts are undeniable. As a junior, he notched 99 tackles, 14 TFLs, seven sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and an interception across 10 contests for La Cueva.

It appears he hasn’t lost a beat on the turf. He projects to immediately impact UW’s linebacker room when he arrives to campus in the summer of 2025.

Badgers class of 2025 commit breaks Wisconsin all-time career tackles record

Badgers class of 2025 commit breaks Wisconsin all-time career tackles record

Wisconsin football class of 2025 commit Cooper Catalano became Wisconsin’s all-time career tackles leader on Friday.

With 463 career tackles in over three years at Germantown High School in Germantown, Wisconsin, Catalano stands alone atop the list. His record-breaking moment transpired in the third quarter of Germantown’s game against Brookfield East.

Catalano was one of the first players to pledge his commitment to Luke Fickell’s program for the class of 2025 on Nov. 28, 2023.

247Sports considers Catalano the No. 872 overall recruit, No. 88 linebacker and No. 7 recruit from the state of Wisconsin for the class of 2025. He earned offers from the likes of Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas, and Michigan State before ultimately deciding to join the Badgers.

Four other class of 2025 linebackers have committed to Wisconsin as well. Those are four-star Mason Posa, three-star Samuel Lateju and three-star Brenden Anes.

WATCH: Former Wisconsin linebacker registers first sack of 2024 season

WATCH: Former Wisconsin linebacker registers first sack of 2024 season

Former Wisconsin linebacker Jack Sanborn registered his first sack of the 2024 season for the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

The play arrived towards the beginning of the fourth quarter of Chicago’s Sunday Night Football battle against the Houston Texans. Lined up outside the right hash, Sanborn sprinted down the middle of Houston’s offensive line to take down quarterback C.J. Stroud.

The sack pinned Houston back several yards and moved a long second-down play into an even longer third-down sequence. Houston eventually punted, and Sanborn’s play proved to be the difference.

The Bears ultimately lost the game 19-13 after failing to capitalize on multiple offensive opportunities down the stretch. Sanborn finished the game with two tackles, a pass deflection and the one sack.

The former Badger notched 65 tackles and an interception for the Bears in 2023. He is one of several star UW alumni to play linebacker in the NFL. T.J. Watt, T.J. Edwards, Andrew Van Ginkel and Leo Chenal are among the most notable.

Chicago plays Indianapolis on Sunday, Sept. 22 in its next bout.

LOOK: Former Wisconsin linebackers swap jerseys at Arrowhead Stadium

LOOK: Former Wisconsin linebackers swap jerseys at Arrowhead Stadium

Former Wisconsin linebackers Leo Chenal and Maema Njongmeta swapped jerseys at Arrowhead Stadium after the Kansas City Chiefs win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday afternoon.

Chenal’s Chiefs outdueled Njongmeta’s Bengals 26-25 on a last-second field goal. Nonetheless, the two shared a moment of Badger brotherhood on the field shortly after the game ended.

Chenal, who registered seven tackles, one tackle for loss and two pass deflections against Lamar Jackson’s Ravens in Week 1, notched six tackles and one forced fumble this week against the Bengals. Njongmeta did not record a defensive statistic, but appeared on a few special teams sequences.

Despite differing graduation years, the two spent three seasons together at Wisconsin from 2019-2021. Chenal accounted for 180 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks in 29 games during that span.

Njongmeta played in six games during Chenal’s final year in Madison (2021) before leading UW with 95 tackles in 2022. He then started for the Badgers again in 2023 in the first year under new coach Luke Fickell.

Here is their jersey exchange.

Chenal will continue to serve as one of the Chiefs’ most valuable defensive assets during the team’s quest for a third consecutive Super Bowl.

Njongmeta, on the other hand, earned his spot on the Bengals’ 53-man roster towards the tail of August after a stellar preseason. He tallied 29 tackles in three games, including 18 solo tackles, and added two pass deflections.

Wisconsin position group dominates in opening weekend of 2024 NFL season

Wisconsin position group dominates in opening weekend of 2024 NFL season

Several former Wisconsin linebackers erupted during Week 1 of the 2024 NFL slate this past weekend.

Among the stars were Kansas City Chiefs LB Leo Chenal, Chicago Bears ILB T.J. Edwards, Philadelphia Eagles ILB Zack Baun, Minnesota Vikings OLB Andrew Van Ginkel and Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt.

Each playmaker was a handful for the offenses they lined up against. Watt and Baun even clinched their squads’ opening weekend victories with game-ending sacks in the final sequence of their respective contests.

While many members of the Badger faithful are accustomed to witnessing Watt decimate his adversaries regularly, Wisconsin fans were able to observe some spectacular performances from other UW alumni who don’t receive the same type of attention.

Baun, who recorded just 30 total tackles a season ago with the New Orleans Saints, registered 15 tackles, two sacks and a tackle for loss in the Eagles’ 34-29 victory over the Green Bay Packers in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Edwards also showed out for the entire Week 1 window. He led Chicago with 15 tackles and recovered a Will Levis fumble to help the Bears shift momentum against the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field.

https://twitter.com/JakeJMaier/status/1832876708447572068

Van Ginkel, who made his Vikings debut on Sunday, intercepted a Daniel Jones’ pass and took it to the house for six points en route to a blowout victory over the New York Giants. And that’s just to name a few highlights.

While notorious for producing high end offensive linemen and running backs, UW also knows a thing or two about developing linebackers. Eight former Wisconsin linebackers currently play in the NFL, six of whom figure to serve as defensive staples for their crews this season.