By Patrick DorseyThe Daily Northwestern

Penn State, not Northwestern, calls itself “Linebacker U.”

During the last decade-plus, though, NU has been close.

Former NU linebacker Tim McGarigle broke record after record. Napoleon Harris was an NFL first-round draft pick. Pat Fitzgerald won two Bronko Nagurski awards, then took over as the Wildcats’ head coach 10 years later.

But despite the history, NU began its spring practice season Monday with linebacker as one of its biggest question marks heading into 2007.

Or so it seems.

“I think it’s a question mark for guys who don’t really know us,” senior outside linebacker Eddie Simpson said. “They really want to see how we’ll handle it.”

The reason for the uncertainty: Of the seven regular starters who graduated after last season, two of them were outside linebackers Nick Roach and Demetrius Eaton.

Roach recorded 62 tackles in eight games last season, for a team-high 7.75 per-game average. Eaton finished with 54 tackles and 2.5 sacks.

But while NU must find replacements, Simpson isn’t worried about the “battle-tested” players expected to fill the holes.

Despite having only one returning starter, senior middle linebacker Adam Kadela (80 tackles) and several others saw action at the linebacker position last season.

Simpson started NU’s final four games last season after Roach broke his leg against Michigan State. Senior Chris Malleo and juniors Malcolm Arrington and Mike Dinard also saw extensive action in 2006, both after Roach’s injury and during NU’s frequent switches to a 3-4 scheme under Fitzgerald.

Others competing include sophomore Chris Jeske, a touted high school prospect who suffered through injuries the last two years, and redshirt freshman Quentin Davie.

“We need to have a solid evaluation done through (the spring),” Fitzgerald said. “Competition might not be done there. We might just have a pretty good idea who’s in the mix.”

BACH