The Wisconsin Badgers are entering their highly anticipated season opener against Notre Dame with plenty of questions surrounding the roster, but one thing is clear: the Fighting Irish aren't overlooking Wisconsin's defense.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman spoke highly of the Badgers and head coach Luke Fickell ahead of Sunday's matchup at Lambeau Field, highlighting both his long-standing relationship with Fickell and what Wisconsin brings defensively.
Freeman and Fickell go back years; Freeman played linebacker at Ohio State while Fickell was on the coaching staff, before eventually working under Fickell at Cincinnati from 2017-20. Later, Freeman served as Cincinnati's linebacker coach and, later, defensive coordinator under Fickell's tenure.
"Defensively, they're going to be sound," Freeman said. They're going to do everything in their power to stop the run, they're going to be aggressive."
He continued, "I think they got two linebackers that are really good. 8 might be as good as anyone we see this season. He's a really good player and then we obviously recruited Sebastian Cheeks years ago. He's gone on to continue to do some really, really good things and he's shown to be a problem off the edge."
Freeman knows Mason Posa is the real deal
"This year started halfway through last year with the emergence of those two linebackers."
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) August 8, 2026
🗣️ @Jbooty88 on @BadgerFootball rising sophomores Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano pic.twitter.com/mc4o8o1LhT
The Notre Dame coach's praise for Wisconsin's defense is particularly notable entering a season in which the Badgers are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 campaign. Wisconsin has made significant changes to the roster and coaching staff, but the defense could be one of the team's biggest strengths.
Now, the Badgers will get an immediate opportunity to prove it against one of the nation's top teams.
Notre Dame enters the season opener ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll and No. 5 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, while Wisconsin will get the chance to make an early statement in one of the biggest games of Week 1.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman isn't sleeping on Wisconsin's defense
