[media-credit name=’DEREK MONTGOMERY/Herald photo’ align=’alignright’ width=’336′][/media-credit]Watching the Wisconsin Badgers’ secondary these days, it’s hard not to glance at the team’s roster. After years of watching Scott Starks’ signature “2” streaking down the sidelines with the Big Ten’s best and seeing the familiar “18” of Jimmy Leonhard’s jersey deftly hovering in center field, this spring’s squad is far from familiar.

The Badgers lost three of their four starters in the defensive backfield from last season (Starks, Leonhard and safety Robert Brooks), with senior Brett Bell as the only returning starter. So with three starting positions, and possibly four depending on the return of Bell — who is sitting out the spring season while he recovers from knee surgery — this year’s spring practice has had a bit more excitement in the secondary than last year’s workouts.

“Right now we don’t have a starter,” defensive backs coach Ron Lee said. “We’re going through the whole process, and we won’t have a starter until we line up against Bowling Green. So right now I’m just looking to see what group works the best together.”

Tentatively, next season’s starters look like juniors Roderick Rodgers and Johnny White at free and strong safety, respectively. Seniors Levonne Rowan and Bell, whom head coach Barry Alvarez believes will be back in time for the fall season, have the early claims to the cornerback spots. But Lee is quick to caution that these positions are in no way locked up.

While both Rogers (6-foot-1, 187 pounds) and White (6-foot-2, 217 pounds) possess ideal size for their positions, something lacking from last year’s pairing, the duo will receive tough challenges from fellow classmates Zach Hampton and Joe Stellmacher.

At 5-foot-10, 178 pounds, Hampton isn’t as physically imposing as Rogers, but his effort has coaches enamored. Hampton has seen most of his playing time on special teams the last two seasons and in his first serious bid for defensive playing time has shown flashes of good decision-making on the second-team defense throughout spring ball.

On the other hand, Stellmacher has been a solid member of Wisconsin’s defense the last two seasons. After a broken leg prematurely ended his freshman campaign, Stellmacher returned last season and played in every contest for the Badgers. Another hard-working player, Stellmacher’s experience will likely give him a boost in the battle for playing time.

But while the top four safeties have all seen a solid amount of action, the same cannot be said of the cornerbacks, where Rowan is the only player with any significant playing experience.

With Bell watching from the sidelines, Allen Langford has quickly become a favorite of the coaching staff. The Detroit native’s tenacity and nose for the ball has earned him the majority of reps with the first-team defense. In retrospect, Langford credits his spring success to his ability to practice with his older teammates.

“Looking back at [redshirting] now, it definitely was a positive, and … I understand things a lot better now. But I still wanted to play last year,” Langford said. “I just learned from the older guys, Sparky, Jimmy. I just learned from them in the meetings and stuff like that. I still got to travel so I appreciated traveling and it just let me get a feel for everything.”

But Langford is not the only freshman defensive back earning the respect of his coaches. Jack Ikegwuonu, also a redshirt freshman, is also earning his ways toward the top of the depth chart. Ikegwuonu has seen most of his playing time this spring with the second-team defense, where he’s been solid against the Badgers’ receivers.

At 6-foot-1, 199 pounds, Ikegwuonu possesses the ideal size for the position, an asset against the Big Ten’s bevy of tall receivers. Yet the Madison native believes that it will be the mental aspect of his game more than his physical attributes that will help him find his way on the field.

“If you don’t know what you’re doing, you can be the best athlete and it still looks like you’re the worst athlete,” Ikegwuonu said. “I think that a lot of the guys in the past that had success here, they’ve been students of the game. And I think that’s what it’s going to take for me to be successful here.”

Coaches are just as excited with the pair’s progress as the players are themselves,” Lee said about the duo. “I feel especially comfortable with Langford right now, and Ikegwuonu.”

“I think Jack Ikegwuonu has really done a lot of good things,” Alvarez added. “I think he’s got a very bright future, makes plays every practice and has a lot of ability. Allen Langford I think really had an especially good practice. Those two guys have really stepped up and jumped out at me.”