2019 Frontier Conference Football Preview Series: LINEBACKERS

Linebackers are tackling machines. That's just what they do. They see ball, and get ball.

And it's no surprise that, the Frontier Conference has produced some of the best linebackers in the NAIA, year-after-year. And the 2019 season should be no different.

That's because the Frontier has, in its possession, perhaps the single-best linebacker in all of the NAIA in Montana Western senior Jason Ferris.

When you talk about tackling machines, Ferris is exactly that. On his way to earning Frontier Conference Player of the Year honors as a junior, Ferris tallied 125 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and two interceptions. Those numbers earned him NAIA All-American accolades, and now, a year older, Ferris, a homegrown product from Dillon, might simply lay claim to being the best defensive player in the country.

"Jason's a great leader, he's not only a leader by example, he speaks up, and he says the things that need to be said when they need to be said," Western head coach Ryan Nourse said at Frontier Media Day. "I know as a staff we appreciate him so much, he speaks for us. The players ultimately respect him because of those things."

Ferris isn't alone either. He's got third-year starter Kyle Schulte along side him, giving the Dawgs a stout crew in the middle of what should be a very good defense this fall.

When it comes to tackling machines, however, Ferris does have company. In particular, College of Idaho star Forrest Rivers and Eastern Oregon's Isiah Cranford. Rivers had 60 stops and 9.5 TFLs last season, and will be the unquestioned leader of the Yotes' defense this fall.

Cranford on the other hand, is part of perhaps the deepest LB crew in the conference. The standout racked up huge numbers for the Mounties last season, with 75 tackles. 10.5 TFLs and seven sacks. But head coach Tim Camp's team seems to be loaded with studs in the middle. Eli Teuteu had 78 tackles a season ago, while Chase Van Wyck added 49 stops, 10.5 TFLs and 7.5 sacks. Together, that trio will make EOU extremely good on defense.

New Carroll College head coach Troy Purcell also has an exciting duo returning at LB, led by junior Chase Bowen, who paced the Saints in tackles last season with 92. Junior Nate McGree also came on strong a year ago, so the Fighting Saints should be tough up the middle.

Of course, graduation always has something to say about the following season, and at Southern Oregon and Montana Tech, last spring hit both linebacker groups hard. The Raiders lost two All-Americans in Devon Gage and Tyson Cooper, while three-time All-Conference performer Connor Wines is gone from Tech. Rocky Mountain College also lost a host of stalwarts at LB, but Wes Harshbarger and Devin Pope could be the ones to watch this season.

Meanwhile, the Montana State University-Northern Lights got solid linebacker play last season, but like every level of their defense, they were just so young.

Yet defensive coordinator Jake Chestnut returns just about every player who took a snap for the Lights at LB last season, including junior Jaren Maki who led the Lights with 80 tackles. Maki has already played in 22 games during his Northern career and could be a star this season. Fellow junior Jake Norby also now has veteran experience, while Chase Gilbert had 56 tackles for the Lights. Depth is also something Northern certainly has at LB heading into the new season.

Editor's Note: This is the fourth installment in the Havre Daily News' annual series on the top players in the league at each position. For a look at the wide receivers, see Monday's HDN.