In 2009, the ISU defense started three seniors at linebacker.

On Thursday, though, the Cyclones will see three unfamiliar faces take the field at linebacker.

“I don’t like to compare people, but they’re faster than that group,” said defensive coordinator and linebackers’ coach Wally Burnham. “They’re not as football smart as that group strong-side that last group had four or five years of experience under its belt.

“That’s where it is right now, an inexperienced group that’s going to get better as the year goes.”

There are big shoes to fill. Two of the team’s top three tacklers — Jesse Smith and Fred Garrin — are graduated and gone. Smith led the Big 12 in tackles in 2009 while Garrin was 15th.

The task of filling those shoes falls to sophomores A.J. Klein and Jake Knott and junior Matt Tau’fo’ou. The three have zero career starts and combined for just 41 tackles last season.

Klein and Knott saw the most action on the field last season, accounting for 40 of those tackles between special teams and limited time defensively. Tau’fo’ou only saw action in two games.

“It was mostly special teams, but the little bit of time at linebacker I did get was valuable just to get the speed of the game down,” Klein said. “I think it’s valuable enough for me to launch into this new season.”

Klein, a Kimberly, Wisc., native, is listed as the starter at the strong-side linebacker position but has also spent time learning the middle linebacker position.

The ability to play both positions will allow Burnham to use a wider variety of defenses with the same personnel on the field.

“I feel more comfortable as a linebacker and I feel comfortable playing both positions,” Klein said. “If I need to be moved from position to position throughout the game, I’ll be comfortable enough to do that.”

Meanwhile, Knott’s performance through fall camp has made him stand out from the group.

The Waukee native returns with the most tackles from 2009 with 23 in his freshman season.

“He overcomes my coaching and he does a good job,” Burnham joked. “He’s a player, he makes plays. He’ll make a play when nobody else could make it, as far as the linebackers.”

Knott said the game has slowed down for him in his second season.

The biggest help, though, has been practicing with the first unit.

“I think it helps out a lot more because you get a lot more reps so you can see a lot more,” Knott said.

A look at the depth chart shows even less experience behind the three starters.

Of the three backups, only one — senior Preston Kaufman — even saw significant time in a special teams role. Kevin Hamlin saw no time as a redshirt freshman in 2009 and Jacob Lattimer played in only five games as a sophomore junior college transfer.

“We’re trying to bring some young people along at some of those backup positions,” Burnham said. “We’re not loaded with depth right now, and that’s a problem but we realize it. We’ve got to keep [the starters] healthy, knock on wood.”

The starters, as inexperienced as they are themselves, have been challenged with the task of not only improving themselves, but trying to aid in bringing along those backups.

The guys on top of the depth chart are starting to get to know each other, though.

They spent 2009 together as backups and have worked together through both spring and fall camps.

The three of them have big shoes to fill, but they won’t be doing it alone.

“As we’ve progressed throughout camp, we’ve all come together as a unit,” Klein said. “We play better defense together. We’re not relying just on the [defensive backs] or on the defensive line … we’re all meshing together as one and we all really are playing as a unit.

“We’re not just individuals, we’re actually playing as a team now.”