In spring football, position changes are as popular as astute fans trying to order Ron Mexico jerseys.

Last year, Kelvin Hayden turned into a cornerback and Morris Virgil became a safety to help the defense.

The defense still needs help.

This year it’s redshirt freshman Walter Mendenhall. The running back is now a linebacker.

And it should be a better change for Illinois – and Mendenhall – than any of last year’s changes.

Illinois head coach Ron Zook has said time and time again in just a few months on the job that he wants athletes on his team and on the field.

Athletes are quick. They make plays others can’t. And, oh yeah, they tend to be fast.

Illinois’ defense needs more speed.

So enter Mendenhall and his 4.4 speed.

“He is a rocket,” Zook said. “Obviously he can run. He is explosive. That is a big difference. He is a blur.”

Right now, that rocket is only being ignited in the nickel package. The coaches want him – and his athleticism – to hone in on wide receivers and running backs in cover. His sole mission is to keep them from catching the ball.

And rightfully so.

Zook is bringing Mendenhall along slowly. You don’t learn how to be a linebacker in one week, even if Mendenhall did play the position in high school.

It takes time to learn the techniques for the position. And time is on the freshman’s side.

Virgil and Hayden were thrown into the starting lineup last year. What would either have accomplished if they had more than one or two years at the position?

Mendenhall can take some time learning the position and getting playing time in passing situations.

The more comfortable Mendenhall gets, the more you can play him. Morris and Hayden had no choice but to play. Illinois’ secondary hinged on their success.

Mendenhall will play without that pressure.

Mendenhall is a dream candidate for a position change. He has four more years to become a linebacker – not just some running back playing defense.

The position change makes sense for more reasons than that the team needs to plug a hole.

It can help Mendenhall’s speed get on the field – when it’s ready to at linebacker – and that, will help Illini in the long run.

The first task towards making his defensive transformation – putting on weight. Mendenhall thinks he needs to add 10 to 15 more pounds to his 210-pound frame to play linebacker next year.

Then he can learn the rest of the playbook.

He already has the linebacker mentality down.

“(On) defense you just run to the ball and tackle him,” Mendenhall said. “You hit him instead of being hit. I like that better.”

Position changes don’t work when the athlete doesn’t buy into the change.

Mendenhall will not have that problem.

He wants to play. He does not care where he is as long as he is on the field.

Players who have a will to work and want to get on the field end up getting playing time in some capacity. It happens in all sports.

That is why when the coaches told Mendenhall he could see the field next year as a linebacker; he jetted off to find a white, defensive, practice jersey.

Some know Walter as the other Mendenhall. His brother, freshman running back Rashard, has been compared to Walter Payton. Some say Rashard is the best ball carrier to come out of the state in years.

The dream was to have both Mendenhall brothers pile up yardage like the Illini would pile up wins.

Things changed. And so has Walter’s dream.

“He’ll score and I’ll hit,” Mendenhall said.

But the result is still the same. The Mendenhall brothers are both on the field.

For Walter, that seems to be enough.