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In the ever-changing rosters of college football, with players often leaving early for the NFL, it?s hard for fans to know for sure who is going to be on the field on Saturdays.

However, for the last four years Wisconsin fans have at least known the kickers, as Taylor Mehlhaff and Ken DeBauche enjoyed stellar full careers as Badgers.

Mehlhaff and DeBauche both earned All-Big Ten honors during their careers, and both rank in the top five in school history in various kicking and punting categories, respectively.

But after the Outback Bowl on New Year?s Day, UW lost both kickers to graduation.

Now as the Badgers prepare for next season during spring practices, two new faces are trying to step in and fill the shoes left by Mehlhaff and DeBauche.

Redshirt freshmen Philip Welch and Brad DeBauche are trying to prove to UW head coach Bret Bielema they should be his go-to guys.

And while there will be a new face at the punter position, DeBauche, Ken?s younger brother, is trying to make it so fans don?t have to get used to a new name.

?Obviously I want to start, but all I can do is hope to get better and work hard and see what happens,? DeBauche said.

While DeBauche has watched his brother his whole life, being with him on the team during his redshirt season helped him understand what it takes to be successful as a punter in college.

?Seeing how he went through things and prepared every day for practice,? DeBauche said about what he learned from Ken last season. ?Just (seeing) his style of punting and what really needs to happen to be successful.?

However, despite learning a lot from his big brother, DeBauche knows there will be pressure to continue the success at the punter position, since Ken left the program with the second-best punting average (42.4 yards per punt) in school history.

?There?s always been pressure, but I just kind of block it out,? DeBauche said. ?I?ve been used to it my whole life. Yeah, I feel it, but it?s not that big of a deal. I just have to do what I have to do.?

Despite the added pressure of living up to what his brother accomplished at Wisconsin, DeBauche’s decision to walk on at UW was an easy one, since his brother was already on the team.

?I?ve always wanted to come to Wisconsin, but once he did, I definitely wanted to,? DeBauche said.

For Welch, big shoes also need to be filled after the departure of the All-American placekicker Mehlhaff. But Welch doesn?t feel any pressure to fill Mehlhaff?s shoes.

?No, not really,? Welch said about the pressure. ?I haven?t really thought about it.?

Instead of worrying about the pressure that faces college athletes, Welch used his redshirt season, like DeBauche, to learn what he takes to be a kicker at the collegiate level.

?Being behind a great kicker helped me learn a lot about the game,? Welch said. ?[Mehlhaff] taught me a lot about kicking.?

Besides continuing to improve throughout the season, Welch also has to compete with Mehlhaff?s backup the last two seasons, junior Matt Fischer, for the starting job. However, Welch sees the competition as good thing.

?Any competition helps me push myself, and I believe it will help me become a better kicker competing with [Fischer],? Welch said.

And Bielema sees the experience of backing up established kickers has helped all three vying for the jobs.

?They really learned how to prepare,? Bielema said of his kickers. ?Out of eight field goals [Thursday morning] we were seven of eight, and the last one was a botched snap. I?ve really been pleased the first three days, just the way they?ve been able to strike the ball.?