Varsity - The Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics

Varsity - March 6, 2014

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37 The Badgers still have three players with considerable starting experience: tackles Rob Havenstein and Tyler Marz and guard Kyle Costigan. There will be an emphasis on developing their pass protection tech- niques and keeping them healthy. They're proven commodities. Ludwig sees Havenstein as a "leader on the offensive line, a leader on offense and really a team leader; I've seen that devel- op in winter workouts." Develop is a good verb for the O-line. As in develop depth. "The young kids in the program are going to get challenged with a lot of reps," Ander- sen said. It will be no different on defense. "We've got returners," Aranda said, "but I think it's always best to start from scratch and not rely on the knowledge that is com- ing back. To build it from the ground up has always been the plan. We're taking a detailed-oriented approach where you want to take nothing for granted. "Up front," he said of the defensive line, "we want to build some depth. We've got some options where we can go big and small. Last year, we had a lot of big guys and they all fit the same mold. "Whereas this year, if we need to go big versus the Iowas and the Minnesotas of the world we can. But I also think there's an option if we need to go small versus the Illinois or Northwesterns." Warren Herring and Konrad Zagzebski have the only experience in the three-man front. Obasih and James were viewed as key recruiting catches and toiled on the scout team. They will be joined by Ar- thur Goldberg and Jake Keefer, who was injured ear- ly last season. Keefer is a converted linebacker. Leon Jacobs will move from the "F" or Field Back- er to the "B" or Boundary Backer and partner with Vince Biegel. "I feel good about the one-two punch there," said Aranda. "There are personal groupings where both B's will play on the line of scrimmage, like Vince and Brendan Kelly did." Jesse Hayes will also line up outside with Biegel and Jacobs. On the inside, Derek Landisch and Mar- cus Trotter, both of whom have started games, will anchor the middle, along with Joe Schobert, a con- verted outsider 'backer. "I'm looking for good things from Joe," said Aranda. The Field 'backer has morphed into a hybrid posi- tion for safety Michael Caputo. "Whether he's on the line of scrimmage, wheth- er he's in space, or whether he's back as a safety," Aranda said, "it's the hardest position to play. But it matches more what we're asking that F (linebacker) to do. We're really playing with three safeties." Michael Trotter and Keelon Brookins will be the spring backups for Caputo. In certain schemes, or when Caputo was injured, the Badgers got some mileage in the deep secondary out of Nate Hammon and Leo Musso and they'll be looking now to fill the void left by the departure of Dez Southward. "Last year we had safeties that were all, more or less, the same guy," said Aranda. "They were all The Field 'backer has morphed into a hybrid position for safety Michael Caputo. "Whether he's on the line of scrimmage, whether he's in space, or whether he's back as a safety," Aranda said, "it's the hardest position to play." NEIL AMENT

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