MADISON, Wis. -- The list of starting outside linebackers at Wisconsin the past two seasons reads like a flawless and compelling information pamphlet for future recruits. Come play for the Badgers, become an All-American and fulfill your NFL potential. What more could anybody want?

At least, that's the way things have transpired recently. In 2015, Joe Schobert earned All-American honors and became a fourth-round NFL draft pick of the Cleveland Browns. In 2016, T.J. Watt replaced Schobert, transformed into an All-American and has positioned himself to be drafted in the first few rounds next month. Vince Biegel, meanwhile, earned all-conference honors the last three years and will also be an NFL draft selection in April.

But maintaining that level of excellence after losing such a sizable collection of talent is not easy. And now the Badgers must figure out how to move on without sacrificing production that could hinder the team's chances of repeating as Big Ten West champions. In fact, solidifying an outside linebacker rotation is one of the most important decisions the coaching staff has on its plate as Wisconsin continues with spring practices.

"The expectations in our room aren't going to change," Wisconsin outside linebackers coach Tim Tibesar said. "And I think we do have some talented guys in our room. A year ago, everybody was wondering how we were going to replace Joe Schobert. Joe was a great player, but we were able to have other guys step up into their role. Obviously nobody knew what kind of year T.J. Watt was going to have at this time last year, and so hopefully we have the same kind of success story."

As it stands now, only fifth-year senior Garret Dooley appears to have locked up a starting role, according to Tibesar, who called Dooley a "complete player." Dooley finished last season with 40 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He played particularly well when he started in place of an injured Biegel against Michigan and Ohio State and continued his progression the following two weeks against Iowa and Nebraska. During those four games, he made 32 tackles with 2.5 sacks and should make a significant leap this season.

Redshirt sophomore Zack Baun has paired with Dooley on the first-team defense at outside linebacker early in spring. Last season, Baun recorded 15 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss. But his grasp on a potential starting spot is more tenuous, Tibesar said, because he must continue to show consistency in a full-time role. Baun arrived at Wisconsin after playing quarterback in high school, and coaches immediately moved him to outside linebacker.

"I had never played defense in my life, not even in middle school," Baun said. "It was a completely different game. And then you get thrown in with 315-pound mammoths on the offensive line. It's hard to hold your ground at first. But just the reps and watching the older guys helped me along the way. Redshirting definitely helped as well."

Baun's quickness and athleticism have helped elevate him in the pecking order. Other players vying for playing time include junior-college transfer Andrew Van Ginkel and Alabama transfer Christian Bell. Van Ginkel was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Freshman of the Year at South Dakota and spent one season at Iowa Western Community College. He is expected to build the unit's depth and has picked up the playbook well since arriving on campus in January, teammates said. On Thursday, coaches added a new wrinkle by giving Leon Jacobs his first action at outside linebacker this spring. Jacobs opened 2015 as a starting inside linebacker before suffering a season-ending toe injury. He moved to fullback last year.

"No matter what, we're going to play more than two starters," Tibesar said. "We've done that since we've been here. We've tried to build depth as we've gone along and given guys a chance to play. And it's a long season. College football nowadays, you get a lot of snaps on defense. We're trying to keep our guys healthy and fresh for the fourth quarter of games, fourth quarter of the season. We're going to try to have a four-man rotation, if possible, and maybe even a fifth if we've got a guy that can play at high levels."

Wisconsin returns seven defensive starters and is loaded at inside linebacker. In addition to Ryan Connelly and leading tackler T.J. Edwards, the Badgers bring back Jack Cichy and Chris Orr, who sustained season-ending injuries a year ago. A significant factor in the overall defensive success, however, will be how well the outside linebackers can force pressure in the backfield.

Last year, Watt used spring practice as a training ground for an exceptional junior campaign. He seamlessly took over for Schobert as a full-time starter and performed so well that he left school a year early for the NFL. He and Biegel combined for 107 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks.

Whether Wisconsin has the dominant pieces in place at outside linebacker this time around remains to be seen. But nobody on the Badgers appears worried as they build toward the fall.

"There's definitely a sense of urgency with the group, knowing that we do need to fill some big shoes," Dooley said. "But I don't know if it's kind of a sense of pressure where it's a panic attack whether we're going to do well enough. If you do that, then you're going to mess up. Your head's going to be clouded. Everyone knows that they need to go out there and basically be themselves. Don't try to be anyone else. The big thing is to have fun and just play the game."