Wisconsin football enters a new era in 2013 with newly-hired Gary Andersen at the helm of a program coming off its third straight Rose Bowl appearance. In order for Andersen and the new assistant coaching staff to spend their New Year’s holiday in Pasadena, they will look for steady contributions from the established leaders along with production from some of the program’s fresh faces.

There will be plenty of playmakers taking to the turf at Camp Randall to keep an eye on this fall, but a few of Wisconsin’s seniors and some intriguing new talent headline the Badgers’ watch list.

Chris Borland (Linebacker)

5-feet-11-inches, 248 pounds is not your typical body type for a Division I college football player, let alone the perfect fit for an inside linebacker in a conference traditionally known for a ground-and-pound, drive-it-up-the-gut style of play. Yet Wisconsin fifth-year senior Chris Borland has been at the upper-echelon of the NCAA’s class of linebackers since he took the field in Camp Randall just four years ago.

The Kettering, Ohio native burst onto the scene in 2009 – his freshman year – playing in all 13 games for the Badgers and leading the defense with five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. Borland’s knack for jarring the ball loose is a concrete example of his play-until-the-whistle mentality – a mindset that was recognized by his peers and rewarded with the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award.

Now, four years later, with 34 starts, 41.5 tackles for a loss, 13 sacks, 13 forced fumbles and two First Team All-Big Ten selections, Chris Borland has established himself as a premiere linebacker in the conference and the cornerstone of Wisconsin’s defense.

In his final go-around in cardinal and white, Borland joins forces with new defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, whose aggressive defensive philosophies should provide a match made in heaven with the all-conference linebacker manning the squad. The aggressive style-of-play puts Borland in perfect position to etch his name in college football’s record books as he is just one more forced fumble away from tying the FBS career record of 14.

Under Aranda’s play-calling, Borland has the chance to reach national prominence as one of the best playmakers on the defensive side of the ball while continuing his pursuit of the Rose Bowl victory that has proved to be so elusive for Wisconsin the last three seasons.

With another strong performance in the 2013 season, Borland could walk away from Madison as one of the greatest linebackers to ever don the cardinal “W” on his helmet.

James White (Running Back)

After biding his time behind John Clay and Montee Ball for the past three years, the door is finally open for senior James White to put a stranglehold on the starting job in the Wisconsin backfield. White has already shown what he is capable of when given the touches. With more than one thousand yards rushing his freshman year, he enters the 2013 season with the second-most rushing yards in the nation (2,571) among active running backs. Now he will get the chance to show what he can do as an every down runner.

Ryan Groy (Offensive Lineman)

With Ricky Wagner and Travis Frederick now playing on Sundays, Ryan Groy has been handed the torch and set with the task of leading Wisconsin’s most tradition-laden position group. With 20 career starts in his three years at Wisconsin – including starts in all 14 games last season – the fifth-year senior is the most experienced player on the Wisconsin offensive line. Groy brings versatility and athleticism to the trenches as he has played guard, tackle and center in a Badger uniform as well as two starts at fullback in 2010.

Wisconsin’s offensive line has a lot of question marks as only two players – Groy and Rob Havenstein – are returning with more than 10 career starts. Groy will have to oversee the growth and maturation of his unit as he sets the standard at left guard – or left tackle – and looks to become Wisconsin’s first Outland Trophy winner (best interior lineman) since Gabe Carimi in 2010.

Tanner McEvoy (Quarterback)

It is still a mystery who will be starting as center for the Badgers come August 31. Speculators contend Joel Stave currently has the edge in the quarterback competition, but don’t sleep on junior college transfer and head coach Gary Andersen’s hand-picked man Tanner McEvoy.

At 6-foot-6-inches and 215 pounds, McEvoy presents the ideal athletic mold to fit Andersen’s desire for a mobile quarterback to lead his offense. At Arizona Western College last year, McEvoy put his arm and legs on display with 1,945 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and only six interceptions while rushing for 414 yards and six scores, earning him the conference offensive player of the year award. The redshirt sophomore will have his work cut out for him to take the starting spot as he was unable to participate in Wisconsin’s spring practice. But Andersen brought McEcoy into the already-crowded quarterback mix for a reason and will be sure to give his guy a chance when the opportunity presents itself.

Dave Aranda (Defensive Coordinator)

While first-year defensive coordinator Dave Aranda won’t be making any plays on the field for the Badgers, it will be the plays he calls from the sideline that will give a tone-setting facelift to the Wisconsin defense. Aranda followed Andersen from Utah State where his Aggies defense surrendered just 15.4 points per game and ranked eighth in the country in scoring. Aranda’s 3-4 system and aggressive play calling will put the Wisconsin defense in a position to make more game-changing plays than ever before. The UW defense may experience some growing pains early in the season as it continues to adapt to Aranda’s system, but based on his past successes, the unit may be poised for its most productive season in a long time.