Wisconsin has had a long history of developing professional offensive lineman, but they've had a nice streak of linebackers in recent years as well. From T.J. Watt to Zack Baun, over the last five seasons, no team in the country has done a better job of churning out NFL linebackers than the Badgers.
Over the last five years, no other school has had more sacks, forced fumbles, tackles for loss and interceptions than former Badger linebackers. Wisconsin has almost 20 more sacks than the next closest school over that time period, and are clear leaders in most other categories as well. Check out the full rankings below.
LBU Rankings — Last 5 Years (NFL Production) pic.twitter.com/jxWAByRTPu
— Deeg (@DeegSports) February 9, 2026
Wisconsin has become a linebacker factory for producing NFL talent
Beyond edge rushers, like Watt, Andrew Van Ginkel and Nick Herbig, who combined for 21.5 sacks this past season, Wisconsin boasts some of the most talented inside linebackers as well. Baun is an All-Pro caliber player with the Philadelphia Eagles, while Leo Chenal, Jack Sanborn and T.J. Edwards all remain quality starters for their respective teams despite some injuries in 2025.
The Badgers are set to continue this pipeline it seems, after incredible seasons from true freshmen Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano. The linebacker duo were the team's leading tacklers despite not playing the first few games of the season. Posa was also third on the team in sacks with four.
While there can be some debate as to who has the best NFL pipeline, there's no question that when it comes to linebackers, no one is better than Wisconsin. The Badgers have also had talented offensive lineman and running backs, but those haven't always translated to the professional level. Still, despite the down years under Luke Fickell, the Badgers seem poised to continue their LBU ways as Catalano and Posa continue to develop.