ASHLAND – The question for Southern Oregon University football fans might be the same entering a new season, but the tone should have shifted by now from dubiousness to genuine intrigue when asking: What about the defense?

An easy target for the duration of the Austin Dodge era while the offense put up record-setting numbers, that defense made its mark on the national stage in 2014 when the Raiders needed it most. First it was the NAIA semifinal game at Saint Xavier (Ill.), in which the Raiders ticked off six consecutive stops to allow for 31 unanswered points that turned a deficit into a blowout. Then came the eight takeaways that ensured the outcome of the title game against Marian (Ind.) was never in question after the first 14 games had passed with only 17 turnovers.

Now, third-year coordinator Berk Brown doesn't just have a unit that will subscribe to SOU's big-play, swarm-to-the-ball philosophy. He has the personnel with potential to execute it more effectively than ever.

"We have more speed on the field than we've had since I've been here without a doubt," said Brown, who has been with SOU since his junior season in 2005. "With our level of experience, our guys know how to communicate and are meshing really well as a unit. We still want to lead the nation in effort, but if we can run to the football, which I believe we've got the guys to do, I think we'll be happy with the results."

Six starters are back from last year, excluding an All-American defensive end (Daniel Breaux), two All-Frontier Conference linebackers (Heston Altenbach and Laurence Calcagno), and an All-Frontier corner (Dustin Fretwell). But added athleticism at the linebacker position and the desire to increase pressure up front has led the Raiders to alter their base defense to a 4-3.

The top-ranked Raiders will first test their new look against what is annually one of the NAIA's best offenses led by arguably the best quarterback in the country. SOU visits fourth-ranked Carroll in Helena, Mont., at 1 p.m. on Sept. 5 in the Frontier Conference opener.

"We're going to learn a lot about ourselves right away," Brown said.


DEFENSIVE LINE: Whereas last year the line had fewer players acclimated to SOU's system than anywhere else on the field, Brown can now call the front four his most seasoned unit because of four seniors: Joseph Lealofi, Trevor Jones, Grant Torgerson and David Weider.

The 6-foot-1, 280-pound Weider transferred in last fall and took over a starting job at tackle, racking up 37 tackles and four sacks. Lealofi (6-2, 240) and Jones (6-1, 230) took the same path to SOU and immediately settled in at defensive end – Lealofi as a starter with 53 tackles, 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles to earn second-team All-Frontier honors, and Jones as a regular contributor with 31 tackles and two sacks. Torgerson (6-3, 225), a fourth-year Raider, has been used in the past as a long-snapper and has made strides at DE.

"We grind those guys to the bone every day and they work their tails off," Brown said. "Their hard work is really showing and their leadership is huge, not only for the position but for the whole defense."

New to the depth chart are Sam Woods (5-11, 280) – a transfer from American River C.C. (Calif.) and a physical noseguard who is battling for a starting job – and Armando Gauger (6-0, 225), who has proven explosive off the edge and effective against the run in his second year at SOU. Jacob Proul (6-1, 285) will contribute at tackle after seeing enough time to make 18 tackles last season, and Kalan Hoedl (6-0, 240) is back to build on a freshman season in which he made 27.


LINEBACKERS: Isiah Carter (6-0, 210) played beyond his years as a freshman last season, emerging as a starter and one of SOU's top playmakers with 78 tackles, including 10.5 for losses and four sacks. The sophomore's ability will no longer be a surprise to the Frontier, but it will continue be a pillar for the Raider defense at the middle-linebacker position.

"He's been really impressive this fall," Brown said. "He can play all three linebacker positions and is just an unbelievable athlete."

Mylz Blake (5-11, 205) is another proven commodity at outside linebacker, having made 98 tackles his first two seasons and improved his stock this fall. The additions Brown is most optimistic about will also be on the outside: freshman Tyson Cooper (5-11, 200) and junior Oshay Dunmore (6-2, 225). In Cooper, the Raiders will have a true freshman as a major factor at linebacker for the third straight year after he became an all-state performer for OSAA Class 6A state champion Central Catholic last season. And in Dunmore, the Raiders have an NCAA Div. I talent who, Brown says, "makes plays most guys just can't at our level." He appeared in 11 games as a freshman at University of Oregon, and as a sophomore he made 63 tackles and intercepted two passes in 15 starts while helping Illinois State to the FCS title game.

Also set to get looks are junior Aaron Downes (6-0, 225) and redshirt-freshman Devvon Gage (6-3, 225), both of whom have been at SOU multiple years.


DEFENSIVE BACKS: SOU returns five of its core-seven in the defensive backfield, which made more of a wave than a splash in the championship game by picking off Marian QB Hayden Northern six times. Safeties Jaylenn Hart (5-10, 180), a senior, and Julius Rucker (6-2, 210), a third-year junior, accounted for five of those and led the Raiders on the season with four and five picks, respectively. Rucker was also third on the team with 88 tackles and Hart made 57. Junior Nathan Torres-Walker, another returning safety, had two picks in 2014.

"When you return two starting safeties from a championship team, that's huge because those guys are asked to be the main communicators to get us into our coverage," Brown said. "And we believe (Torres-Walker) knows the defense as well as any coach on the staff."

Two more seniors who transferred in from Portland State before last season, Karrington Jones (6-2, 185) and Tyler Rogers (5-11, 185), will occupy the corners. Jones will be a second-year starter (he intercepted two passes last season) and Rogers was a regular in the rotation. AJ Cooper (5-9, 160) will get his first shot following a redshirt campaign.

"Between those three guys, we're extremely athletic at the corner position," Brown said. "They provide a ton of freedom for the rest of the defense based on their speed and ability."