Mason Reiger is an American college football outside linebacker (OLB) and defensive end from Hoffman Estates, Illinois, standing 6-5 and weighing 248 pounds.[1][2] A graduate student at the University of Wisconsin Badgers, he began his career as a walk-on at the University of Louisville in 2020, appearing in one game before emerging as a contributor.[1][3] At Louisville, Reiger played sparingly in 2020 and 2021 (nine tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks across both seasons), then broke out in 2022 with 18 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, one sack, and a forced fumble in 13 games.[1][3] His 2023 redshirt junior year was his strongest there, tallying 21 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, and 5.0 sacks, including standout performances like two sacks and a forced fumble against Notre Dame, a sack versus Virginia Tech, and contributions in the ACC Championship against Florida State.[1][3] He missed the entire 2024 season due to knee surgery.[1][4] Reiger transferred to Wisconsin on December 13, 2024, and as a redshirt senior in 2025, delivered a breakout campaign with 33 tackles, five sacks, six tackles for loss, and a team-high 45 quarterback pressures—ranking him in the top 25 nationally among edge rushers per PFF, where he was Wisconsin's highest-graded defender.[2][4][5] His run defense and edge-setting were pivotal to the Badgers' unit.[2] Currently an NFL Draft prospect at age 23 (born August 19, 2002), Reiger earned a 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl invitation, winning defensive MVP and boosting his stock with dominant practices against top linemen.[2][5] Recent mock drafts project him as a seventh-round pick (e.g., to Cincinnati Bengals or Denver Broncos), praising his resilience from walk-on to impact transfer.[4][5] In high school at J.B. Conant, he was a team captain, all-conference leading tackler, honorable mention by the Chicago Herald, and also played baseball.[1][3] He graduated from Louisville with a sports administration degree and is the son of Jenn and Rudi Reiger.[1]