After losing three of five starting offensive linemen from last season and finishing ninth in the Big Ten in pass defense, the Northwestern offensive line and defensive secondary were two of the biggest questions leading into this football season.

With two would-be starters already out for the upcoming season, the Wildcats will have even more to overcome.

Fifth-year senior cornerback Jeff Backes elected to forgo his final year of eligibility due to lingering shoulder problems, and junior center Trevor Rees was suspended for academic reasons and will not play this season.

Three other returning NU players are no longer on the roster.

Junior safety Scott Brownley, who received a varsity letter from NU primarily for his work on special teams, junior wide receiver Joseph Ferguson and sophomore quarterback Jeremy Vesta were on the spring roster, but are not now listed.

“I’d say it’s a tad bit unusual to lose this many players,” senior defensive lineman Barry Cofield said. “But we’ve never had less than three or four guys who have had medical redshirts, and you usually lose a couple walk-ons.”

Backes and Rees were the biggest losses for NU, as Backes started 25 games in three seasons with NU, and Rees was the Cats’ center for all 12 games last season.

Both were expected to start again this season.

Backes, a former Mr. Ohio Football at running back, led NU in kick-off returns last year with more than a 30 yard per return average, including a touchdown. He was second on the team with just fewer than 13 yards per punt return, also with a touchdown. Backes recorded an interception and was 10th on the team with 45 total tackles.

“It’s kind of shocking he got hurt again,” Cofield said. “But his shoulder wasn’t getting any better and nothing was really helping.”

Backes, who will begin classes at NU’s Feinberg School of Medicine this summer, did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Junior Cory Dious and sophomore Deante Battle were listed as the back-up cornerbacks to begin the spring, but according to Cofield, senior safety Herschel Henderson could move to cornerback and replace Backes.

Henderson was suspended for undisclosed violations by coach Randy Walker during the spring and did not practice with the team.

“Anytime you lose someone that was a projected starter you might have problems,” Cofield said. “So I think (losing Backes) will hurt, at least initially.”

With Rees suspended for the season, the Cats return only one starter from the offensive line — senior Zach Strief.

Sophomore Adam Crum was listed at second-string center in the spring, and is the likely frontrunner to replace Rees.

Crum said Rees’ suspension took the team by surprise.

“It kind of took everyone like a slap in the face,” Crum said. “We didn’t believe it at first. It took some more investigating and questions to find out if it was really true.

“We had all hoped there would be a chance he would come back.”

Rees had started 21 consecutive games leading up to this season. He did not return an e-mail requesting an interview.

“You always want to beat someone out,” said Crum, who was Rees’ roommate last year. “But because of (Rees’) experience and skill, there was a slim chance I would have beaten him out. Now with him gone, it really opens it up.”

Even with the experience the Cats lost, Cofield said the team will be able to get past these departures.

“We’ve gone through a lot in my four years here,” Cofield said. “We’re not making this into a big thing. We just have to move on.”

Reach Abe Rakov at [email protected].