Wisconsin Football: 2-Deep Post-Spring Depth Chart

Spring practice is to find where some of your weaknesses are so you know what to work on heading into the fall. It also provides players a chance to move up the depth chart and fight for more playing time with great performances.

Now that spring practice is over for the Wisconsin Badgers, it's time to see if anybody took advantage of those opportunities and how the season would look if the season was to start today.

Here is your 2012 Wisconsin Badgers post-spring depth chart.

Quarterback

Starter: Joel Stave

Backup: Joe Brennan

Walk-on quarterback Stave is listed as the starter right now, but once transfer Danny O’Brien arrives on campus, it may be a different story. This is a position that remains up for grabs, but expect O'Brien to be the favorite heading into the season.

Running Back

Starter: Montee Ball

Backup: James White

Ball rushed for over 1,900 yards last season and had 39 total touchdowns. Do I really need to explain why he's the starter at the running back position? He enters the season as a Heisman candidate and will likely be the workhorse of this Wisconsin offense.

Fullback

Starter: Sherard Cadogan

Backup: Derek Straus

Cadogan came to Wisconsin thinking he was going to play full back and tight end. Although once he arrived at camp in much better shape, the Badgers are looking to keep him as the starting full back this season.

“He's trimmed up and leaned up,” Coach Brett Bielema said via CBS Sports. “He's moving a lot better and has been very, very efficient.”

Wide Receiver

Starter: Jared Abbrederis

Backup: Isaiah Williams

Losing wide receiver Nick Toon, the Badgers will turn to Abbrederis to become the No.1 receiving option. He finished last season with 55 receptions for 933 yards and eight receiving touchdowns. He's missed majority of the spring with a foot injury, but should be fine once the season starts.

Wide Receiver

Starter: Jeff Duckworth

Backup: Chase Hammond

The No. 2 wide receiver position is still up for grabs, but if the season was to start today, it'd likely be Duckworth getting the nod. He finished with 15 receptions last season and has the most experience at the position besides Abbrederis.

Tight End

Starter: Jacob Pedersen

Backup: Brian Wozniak

Pedersen caught 30 passes last season, and eight of those went for touchdowns. He'll return to his starting role and has been working on his game throughout the offseason to become more of a complete tight end.

Left Tackle

Starter: Ricky Wagner

Backup: Robert Burge

Wagner started every game last season at left tackle for the Badgers and will return to his starting position. New offensive line coach Mike Markuson really likes what he sees from the senior.

"He can really bend, very physical, good footwork guy. You don't have to tell him but one time. He's special." Markuson said via Madison.com.

Left Guard

Starter: Ryan Groy

Backup: Ray Ball

Groy started four games last season for the Badgers, and it was a combination of playing at left guard and center. This season, he'll be the full-time starter at left guard, and the 6'5", 322-pound junior has big expectations this season.

Center

Starter: Travis Frederick

Backup: Dan Voltz

Frederick enters his junior season after winning second-team All-Conference player last season. He spent most of his time at left guard last season and started two games at center. Expect to see him in the middle of the line this season, as he has experience at the position and has become a leader on the line.

Right Guard

Starter: Casey Dehn

Backup: Kyle Costigan

Dehn could end up at right tackle, where he's been competing all spring, or he could see time at right guard once Havenstein makes a full recovery. Dehn quit the team last season, but has recently shown commitment and has impressed offensive line coach Mike Markuson.

“Casey's doing what he's supposed to be doing right now and he wants to be a part of this,” Markuson said via CBS Sports. “There's a guy right there – we've got to have him. He's a real valuable guy.”

Right Tackle

Starter: Rob Havenstein

Backup: Tyler Marz

Havenstein missed all of the spring with a shoulder injury, but won't miss any playing time and will likely start on the right side of the line at tackle. He only started one game last season for the Badgers, but played in every game and played some special teams as well.

Defensive End

Starter: Pat Muldoon

Backup: Tyler Dippel

Muldoon only started two games last season for the Badgers, but with the losses on the defensive line, he'll likely move up as a starter. Although he has a serious injury history, he finished last season with 14 tackles and broke up three passes.

Defensive Tackle

Starter: Beau Allen

Backup: Jordan Kohout

Although Allen didn't start in any game last year, he finished second on the team with four sacks and also had 22 tackles. With the loss of Patrick Butrym, expect him to be the starter this season and make even more plays in his new role.

Defensive Tackle

Starter: Ethan Hemer

Backup: Bryce Gilbert

Hemer brings some experience to this defensive line, starting six games in 2010 and every game last season. He hasn't been effective statistically, but he's a solid run-stopper and he can even kick field goals if needed. No, seriously; a 305-pound kicker.

Defensive End

Starter: Brendan Kelly

Backup: David Gilbert

Kelly started eight games last season and showed he has a nose for the football. He racked up 35 tackles and three sacks. He also had a sack in the spring game and could end up becoming a playmaker on this defensive line for the Badgers. 

Linebacker

Starter: Mike Taylor

Backup: Conor O'Neill

Taylor returns for his senior season after earning first-team All-Big Ten and leading the Badgers in tackles with 150. He also had two interceptions, two sacks and nine tackles for loss. I think his starting position is safe this year.

Linebacker

Starter: A.J. Fenton

Backup: Ethan Armstrong

Fenton didn't live up to expectations last season and was later bothered by injuries. Now that the spring has kicked off, he has really stepped his game up, and coaches are really liking what they see from him.

"A.J.'s probably had about as good a two weeks as I've ever seen," Badgers coach Bret Bielema said via Goerie.com.

Linebacker

Starter: Chris Borland

Backup: Marcus Trotter

Borland finished second on the team with 147 tackles last season. He also had 19.5 tackles for loss, broke up five passes and intercepted two passes. Bleacher Report says he's a top-150 player in all of college football this season.

Cornerback

Starter: Marcus Cromartie

Backup: Peniel Jean

Cromartie returns for his senior season. He finished last year with 47 tackles and broke up three passes. He should have his best season yet, as he has all of the tools to succeed (size, speed and is extremely athletic).

Cornerback

Starter: Devin Smith

Backup: Devin Gaulden

Smith started the first two games of the season before suffering a season-ending leg injury. Good news is that he's back on the field and is ready to go once September arrives. Hopefully for Badger fans, he can get back to the way he was in 2009, when he finished with 55 tackles and two interceptions. 

Strong Safety

Starter: Shelton Johnson

Backup: Michael Trotter

Johnson is the playmaker in this secondary, as his first year as a starter last season, he finished with four interceptions and 54 tackles. We may even see impressive numbers this season, as Johnson is feeling even better in the defensive backfield.

“I feel very comfortable with where we are right now,” Johnson said via the Badger Herald. “Especially comparing this spring with last spring where we were, I think we’re light years ahead of where we were last spring.”

Free Safety

Starter: Dezmen Southward

Backup: Michael Caputo

Southward was battling with Johnson last season for the strong safety position. He saw limited action last season, but finished his sophomore season with 55 tackles and two broken up passes. Due to his athleticism, he'll likely move to starting free safety this season.