In early August, Wisconsin will open fall camp in preparation for the 2021 season opener against Penn State.

You know what that means -- position previews.

Wisconsin's secondary - the cornerback room, in particular - has arguably the most depth in the program. The group could boast four-year starters come season's end, and the versatility to work both in the slot and outside can be seen in a few of them. At the very least, seven either have decent playing experience or appeared to work themselves into reps for fall camp.

Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard told reporters in April that Wisconsin ran its nickel sub-package almost 70% of the time in 2020, meaning that five defensive backs were on the field at the same time. The more game-ready corners (and versatile safeties, for that matter), the better for the Badgers.

Position-by position previews: Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide receivers | Tight Ends/Fullbacks | Offensive line | Defensive line | Inside Linebackers | Outside Linebackers |

Upperclassmen Caesar Williams and Faion Hicks should be at the forefront of this group. The duo has played a combined 68 games heading into the season, and that includes 47 starts (28 for Hicks, 19 for Williams). During spring availability, cornerbacks coach Hank Poteat called out how Hicks was "the leader of the room" and that Williams was "a true vet" while praising his consistency and responsiveness to techniques, the assistant added.

The tandem spent a lot of time together this summer, according to Hicks during Big Ten Media Days. The South Florida native noted how they pushed each other to do "something extra" each day, getting with wide receivers and also working on technique.

"I'm not gonna lie. We actually got a lot closer this year," Hicks said on July 23. "Us being the two older guys with 'Goose' [Rachad Wildgoose] being gone, we just kind of realized like, hey, let's take this corner room to the next level. Let's make sure [when] we leave, those guys kind of have seen what it takes.

"So me and 'Caes,' we literally spent every day together this summer," Hicks continued with a laugh. "We spent every day together this summer, and I'm proud of him, man, and how he's matured, how he's stepped out, how he's going about his business this offseason so I'm excited for him as well."

Poteat inherited a group of players this spring with game experience behind Hicks and Williams. Donte Burton (23 games, 5 starts), Semar Melvin (seven, two) and Deron Harrell (22, nine) also recorded starts during their Wisconsin career. Harrell (right arm) did not participate in the five practices open to reporters in April, while Melvin (right arm) missed a couple of those sessions.

Two others -- Alexander Smith and Dean Engram -- stood out as corners who not only received significant reps out of Poteat's group in April, but also made some plays. Both pulled in interceptions during the April 20 practice, which included a diving grab by Engram.

Hicks has the ability to play on the outside and in the nickel slot, a valuable skillset Wildgoose displayed. The latter declared for the 2021 NFL Draft and now is fighting for a roster spot with the Buffalo Bills. Smith and Engram also worked at those spots in the handful of spring practices open to reporters.

Poteat believes both are ready.

"They want to get on the field," Poteat said on April 19. "Think they've been doing a good job of handling the load. Both of them, since Faion has been limited, they both have taken on the role of playing corner and nickel. So, you know, they're doing a good job of retaining the information and understanding where they fit within the defense, and they're starting to pick up the techniques and understand how to read the receivers.

"I think they're doing a real good job for us. They're playing hard, and those are two of the guys, I would say, are really tough mentally. Being in that position of just challenging receivers, being able to play guys in the box, receivers off the ball, and then be able to now transition and go back outside. So I really like what I see out of those two young players."

How the snaps and interchanged combinations work out in fall camp will be something to watch, as it has been in the past few years under the direction of Leonhard. The cornerback room also holds second-year players Max Lofy and Amaun Williams, and true freshmen Al Ashford III and Ricardo Hallman. With talent and experience within the room, this group should be a strength of the defense.

The expectations for the cornerbacks are "very high," according to Hicks.

"We have a lot of guys that haven't played a big role but played some sort of role," Hicks said. "So going into this year, like I said with Alex and Dean, I'm excited for those two guys, and we'll see how they progress once the season starts and see how those guys play, man.

"Those two are gonna be very big for us, Semar as well. I'm just excited to see how they flourish this season, man. Like I said, when me and Caesar leave, those guys are gonna be in good hands."