When Michael Roseke committed to Wisconsin on Nov. 16, recruiting staff members Maximus Stienecker and Pat Lambert jumped into Lake Mendota to celebrate a "home-grown Badger."
When Cooper Catalano connected with Stienecker on Tuesday to alert the Badgers of his own decision, UW's Director of Player Personnel first looked at the thermometer. A sub-20 degree reading was on the other end.
"Everyone was super excited when I called today," Catalano told BadgerBlitz.com. "I called Max and he was super pumped. He said it was too cold to jump in the lake, though."
A 6-foot-2, 215-pound prospect from Germantown High School, Catalano is commit No. 4 for Wisconsin in the 2025 class. His primary contact is defensive coordinator Mike Tressel.
"I just have a really great relationship with the staff and it's my hometown team," Catalano said. "Wisconsin is the school I've been rooting for since I was a little kid, and there's nothing like football at Camp Randall. That's ultimately what led to my decision.
"Coach Tressel and I have a great relationship and he put in a ton of effort to get me to Wisconsin. We get along well and talk a lot on the phone. I appreciate Coach Tress and all the effort he's put into this process. I'm really excited to see what we can accomplish over the next few years."
Catalano, who chose UW over offers from Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas, Michigan State, Minnesota and Missouri, visited UW no less than six times during the course of his recruitment. He was arguably Tressel's top priority at inside linebacker in the junior cycle.
"The recruiting process is fun, obviously, but it does come with a lot of stress," Catalano said. "I'm very excited and I'm very confident that I made the right decision. I'm glad we come to this conclusion.
"They like that I can read my keys well and do everything a linebacker at Wisconsin should be able to do. I can stop the run and I'm OK in pass coverage. I fit well in that defense."
Before he arrives in Madison, Catalano has a chance to set the Wisconsin state record for career tackles. That mark is currently held by Black Hawk’s Brady Milz, who racked up 462 stops from 2014-17. If Catalano - who currently has 405 over three seasons - stays healthy, he will likely take over the No. 1 spot. *stats provided by wissports.net*
"It's been brought to my attention late this season," Catalano said. "It's not something I'm really paying attention to, but I'm thankful to have a great defensive line and great coaches to scheme us up. If you focus on records the game will get away from you. It's a team game and a lot of guys work hard to help me to get a tackle, so I appreciate them."
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