Try HuskerOnline out for $1 AND get your first year for 50% off!<\/a><\/p>\n 1. Rolijah Hardy, Indiana<\/p>\n While Indiana\u2019s offense highlighted its remarkable 2025 national title run, its defense was equally dominant. Few players embodied the Hoosiers\u2019 success on that side of the ball more than Rolijah Hardy<\/a>.<\/p>\n The 5-foot-11, 227-pounder started all 16 games as a sophomore, racking up 103 tackles and eight sacks. That included posting some of his best performances against IU\u2019s top competition with double-digit tackle efforts vs. Oregon (13), Penn State (12), and Ohio State (10).<\/p>\n Hardy took home second-team All-Big Ten honors for his efforts and now returns as one of the conference\u2019s top all-around defenders. Indiana doesn\u2019t appear to be leaving the national championship conversation any time soon, and Hardy\u2019s production and leadership are a big reason why.<\/p>\n 2. Mason Posa, Wisconsin<\/p>\n Wisconsin\u2019s 2025 season was a disappointment on many levels. However, some promising young standouts \u2013 led by Mason Posa \u2013 have provided some optimism for the future in Madison.<\/p>\n Posa made an immediate impact with the Badgers as a true freshman, starting five of his 11 appearances and finishing with 61 tackles, 4.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a recovery. Despite limited early snaps, the 6-foot-3, 237-pounder claimed third-team All-Big Ten and Freshman All-American honors.<\/p>\n Posa instantly showcased a natural nose for the football. He tallied 13 tackles in his first-career start vs. Oregon, 12 stops against Indiana, and took home Big Ten Freshman of the Week after 11 tackles and 2.5 sacks vs. Washington. He returns as one of PFF\u2019s highest-graded ILBs and might have only scratched the surface on his potential.<\/p>\n 3. Owen Chambliss, Nebraska<\/p>\n Owen Chambliss<\/a> hasn\u2019t played a down of Big Ten football yet. However, when you\u2019re handpicked out of the portal by your former defensive coordinator, it generally suggests a clear path to success.<\/p>\n New DC Rob Aurich<\/a> brought Chambliss with him to Nebraska from San Diego State after the Corona, California, native led the Aztecs with 110 tackles, 9.6 TFLs, and 4.0 sacks. Chambliss started all 13 games in 2025, helping SDSU rank seventh nationally in scoring defense and 12th in total defense.<\/p>\n The 6-foot-3, 230-pound junior was the only underclassman defender to earn first-team All-Mountain West. It hasn\u2019t taken him long to make his mark in Lincoln. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll tell you what he is \u2013 he\u2019s crafty,\u201d a former NFL linebacker who follows the Mountain West told HuskerOnline. \u201cHe\u2019s long. I like him. Now, he\u2019s not overly physical. He needs a little improvement against the run, but I just assume they\u2019ll coach him up on that.<\/p>\n \u201cBut what he does is create havoc. He doesn\u2019t stay blocked. Bottom line, he\u2019s a Day 1 starter.\u201d<\/p>\n 4. Cooper Catalano, Wisconsin<\/p>\n Lined up next to Posa on Wisconsin\u2019s defense is another budding star at inside linebacker, Cooper Catalano<\/a>. He, too, had a breakout true freshman campaign in 2025, posting 56 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, and 2.0 sacks over 12 appearances and just five starts.<\/p>\n Catalano\u2019s statement game came with a whopping 19 stops, two TFLs, and a sack against Washington, earning him Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. That marked the most tackles by a power conference freshman since 2017 and the most by a Badger since 2011.<\/p>\n At 6-1, 232, Catalano appears to be the latest elite UW linebacker who always seems to find his way to the football. He and Posa could become not only the league\u2019s most formidable ILB duo, but potentially one of the best duos in college football.<\/p>\n 5. Kooper Ebel, Penn State<\/p>\n Matt Campbell<\/a> seemingly brought his entire Iowa State roster with him to Penn State this offseason. Of the 24 former Cylcones now in State College, none might be a more important defensive addition than Kooper Ebel<\/a>.<\/p>\n The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Ebel led ISU with 77 tackles, 8.0 TFLs, a sack, a forced fumble, and three pass breakups as a junior. That included double-figure stops against TCU (11) and Oklahoma State (10), as well as totaling 14 TFLs over the past two seasons.<\/p>\n A three-year starter in Ames who started all 12 games last season, the Hartley, Iowa, native brings immediate production, experience, and leadership to Happy Valley. With so much change happening in Campbell\u2019s debut offseason, Ebel will be a pillar of stability on defense.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/USATSI_27761321.jpg\")
Indiana linebacker Rolijah Hardy (21) reacts during the 2025 Big Ten championship game against Ohio State at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/USATSI_27736539.jpg\")
Wisconsin linebacker Mason Posa (8) watches during the first half against Iowa at Camp Randall in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo: Jovanny Hernandez \/ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Q3A5046.jpg\")
Nebraska LB Owen Chambliss and head coach Matt Rhule talk during the 2026 Red-White game (Photo credit: Ken Juszyk\/HuskerOnline)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/USATSI_27025773.jpg\")
Wisconsin linebacker Cooper Catalano (44) tackles Middle Tennessee\u2019s Jekail Middlebrook (9) during the fourth quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. (Photo: Mark Hoffman\/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)<\/p>\n![\"Penn](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Kooper-Ebel-Penn-State-Football-On3.jpg\")
Penn State linebacker Kooper Ebel. (Photo: Thomas Frank Carr\/BWI)<\/p>\n