Can UW overcome personnel losses and Garrett Rand's injury? The players are confident.

Jeff Potrykus | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

CHICAGO – With preseason camp barely a week away, the questions about the type of defense Wisconsin will field in 2018 remain.

Three key senior linemen are gone.

End Garrett Rand, who suffered an Achilles’ injury in June, is expected to miss the entire season.

End Isaiahh Loudermilk, recovering from May knee surgery, appears on track to return in time for the Big Ten opener.

Both were projected starters at the close of spring practice.

No one knows whether UW will have enough playmakers at outside linebacker, where starters Garret Dooley and Leon Jacobs must be replaced.

UW BY POSITION: LB | DL

RELATED: Paul Chryst embraces new redshirt rule

Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard must replace three starters in the secondary, including both cornerbacks.

Safety D’Cota Dixon, balked at the notion that the defense will suffer a significant drop-off.

"The same things were said when T.J. Watt and Vince Biegel left," Dixon said Tuesday during the Big Ten preseason meetings, referring to UW's outstanding outside linebackers who left for the NFL after the '16 season. "The same things were said when Mike Caputo and Tanner McEvoy left and Leo Musso and I had to fill in.

"I am genuinely confident. I trust my teammates. I trust their work ethic. I’ve seen the work they put in. I am not lacking any confidence in my teammates."

Dixon and linebacker T.J. Edwards both noted their primary concern was to see Rand and Loudermilk regain their health.

"It hurts because you know how much work Garrett has put in to get to this point," Edwards said. "He has played behind really good players and has to wait his turn.

"I feel bad for him but he is going to be that vocal (leader) they need in that room. It is tough but we're going to be OK."

The bar has been set high.

During the last five seasons, a span that began with the arrival of defensive coordinator Dave Aranda in 2013, UW ranks No. 2 nationally in scoring defense (16.1 ppg), total defense (286.2 ypg), rushing defense (104.4 ypg) and pass-efficiency defense (106.0 rating).

In Leonhard’s first season as defensive coordinator, UW finished second nationally in total defense (262.1 ypg), third in scoring defense (13.9 ppg) and first in pass efficiency defense. Opposing quarterbacks completed just 48.6% of their passes and threw more interceptions (20) than touchdown passes (11).

Athletic director Barry Alvarez, a regular at practices, believes UW has the staff and personnel to field a quality unit.

“You’ve got guys that go hard,” he recently. “You have good athletes over there.

“I know Jimmy is excited about them. They’re good enough athletes and our guys will coach them up.

“I think we’ll be good on defense. The kids always know what they’re doing. You don’t ever see guys with their heads spinning around, trying to get lined up.

“Their communication is good and they play fast.”

According to head coach Paul Chryst, comparing the 2018 defense to its predecessors is a waste of energy.

“I don’t spend time (worrying) this is where we’ve got to be,” he said Tuesday. “You just want to be the best group they can be.

“This defense doesn’t have to be last year’s defense or the year before or the year before that. It is a different group.

"But we’re going to need good defense to be the best team we can be. And they know that. I think they are capable of it.”