Kari GIbb/MDN Minot State University defensive coordinator, Jake Rosthchiller, instructs linebackers on proper technique on effectively working against offensive blockers with hand drills at the Beavers spring practice.

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines linebacker as ‘a defensive football player who lines up immediately behind the line of scrimmage to make tackles on running plays through the line or defend against short passes.’

Much is asked of linebackers in football. While the defensive line has the task of occupying the offensive linemen to keep them from blocking other defenders downfield, and defensive backs are a pass first position to defend against the throwing game, linebackers are either run first, pass second in the box or pass first, run second outside the box.

According to Minot State University head football coach Ian Shields, the Beavers football team is deep at the position. .

“I would say that our linebacking group is the deepest we have- our defensive backs (DB) and linebackers are team strengths,” said MSU head football coach Ian Shields.

“Our returning all-conference players are DB (current junior) Isaiah Bigby and linebacker (current junior) Carson Cayko, “ said Shields.

Cayko finished the season with 45 solo, 26 assisted tackles, five sacks along with one forced fumble and one safety in the 2023-24 season, for the Beavers. He is joined by a large group. The current roster has 14 linebackers listed, with a few of those working as defensive ends as well. In addition to Cayko, current sophomore Ike Mikaele played in ten games last year and tallied 11 solo and 9 assisted tackles along with an interception. Current sophomore Conner Raetzman played in seven games last season and had six solo and five assisted tackles for the Beavers.

They are joined by senior Justin Proffitt, redshirt junior Noah Iosefa out of Laney College, junior Jalen Corprew, freshman Logan Waller, sophomore Brian Weatherford, redshirt freshman Ropati Eneliko, redshirt freshman Landon Smith, redshirt sophomore Zeth Nastal and redshirt freshman Jackson Gridley.

The linebacker room needs as many top flight players as possible to keep up the aggressive pressure approach. An attacking defense requires fresh players with fresh legs leading to frequent substitutions for the Beavers.

The Minot State linebacking group is a direct reflection of the way players in the NFL have affected the game with a couple examples from Hall of Fame inductees.

A prime example of the outside linebacker position is Lawrence Tayler who played for the New York Giants from 1981 to 1993 and was a student-athlete at the University of North Carolina from 1977 to 1980 for the Tar Heels. The six-foot, four-inch Taylor played at 237-pounds and changed the way teams addressed the outside linebacker was recruited and utilized. Taylor’s size and speed created mismatches with offensive linemen and became the model for how the outside linebacker would be modeled going forward.

Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens is an example of the inside linebacker position and played for the University of Miami Hurricanes from 1993 to 1995 and was with the Ravens from 1996 to 2012 when he retired from the game. The six-foot, one-inch Lewis spent his career playing at 240-pounds. Lewis was a state champion wrestler in high school. He used his low center of gravity and speed to amass 1,568 solo tackles, 491 assisted tackles, 41 sacks, 31 interceptions, 19 forced fumbles and 20 recovered fumbles in regular season play.

Minot State linebackers average six-foot, one-inch and roughly 225 pounds. The Beavers could see the linebacking corps become a foundation for the team for several years, as many of the linebackers on the current roster are underclassmen, who will only continue to develop both physically in the strength and conditioning program, and in their football IQ as they progress on the field.