ASHLAND – The first two years of the Berk Brown era were characterized by undeniable forward progress for the Southern Oregon University football team, even if the Raiders were served a painful reminder at the end of the second that they don't get to skip any steps in their rebuild.

As the third begins this week, the next step is clear: ending a postseason drought that stretches back to the 2017 national semifinals.

The expectations that at one point seemed burdensome – established by four playoff runs, back-to-back NAIA finals appearances, a national championship and a pair of Frontier Conference titles from 2012-17 – are back, feeling more now like a milestone than a given. For the first time in six years, SOU will undoubtedly be included in the preseason edition of the NAIA Top 25 when it is released Monday.

The Raiders played 11 consecutive weeks of meaningful football without a bye in 2024, peaking in the rankings at No. 7 and entering the final stretch with a 7-1 record. They finally appeared worn down while losing two of their last three, including an overtime stinger of a finale at College of Idaho that kept them out of the playoffs. But with a Thursday night opener and two byes on the schedule this fall, there is no need to pace themselves in 2025.

"I haven't pushed a group like this before – the schedule just hasn't allowed it – but they haven't batted an eye so far," said Brown, the reigning AFCA-NAIA Region 5 Coach of the Year. "It's really refreshing. They've shown up, worked, and are committed to doing something special. We're to a point where we're sick of each other and can't wait to go hit someone else."

OFFENSIVE NOTES
The Raiders' foundational running back, Gunner Yates, is back for his junior season. The Coquille product arrived fully formed for 2024 and established himself early on as one of the country's premier playmakers, eventually becoming the Frontier Conference Offensive MVP and a first-team NAIA All-America selection. He averaged 135.3 rushing yards per game and 6.7 per carry, amassing an NAIA-high 1,488 on the season, and broke SOU single-season records for rushing touchdowns (27) and total TDs (29).

As much as Brown wants to see those numbers replicated, there is one he'd like to change: Yates accounted for nearly two-thirds of the team's total carries. The addition of graduate transfer Fresh Ison makes that feasible. Ison spent the last four years at Western Oregon, averaging 5.8 yards per carry on 22 attempts last fall. He'll ideally get 10 to 15 carries per game, and Brown hopes a third back will get another handful – redshirt-freshman Coen Coloma for now, with Jamin Miller and Logan Whitlock also competing for that spot.

"Gunner changes everything when he's on the field, but with how physical he plays, we need to think about how to keep him healthy," Brown said. "We want to get more guys the ball, so bringing in Fresh with a ton of experience was important and the other guys are coming along."


The quarterback competition is settled for now: Oregon State transfer Dom Montiel will be the Week 1 starter. Montiel joined the Beavers as a freshman in 2022 after becoming the OSAA Class 4A Offensive Player of the Year at Marshfield High, which he departed among the top-15 in state history in career completions, touchdowns and passing yards. Montiel didn't make any regular-season appearances at OSU, arriving in Ashland in time for spring practice and with multiple years of eligibility. In camp, he beat out Ashland product Rieger Sayre, a dual-threat Butte C.C. (Calif.) transfer, and sophomore McCade Long, both of whom remain in the Raiders' plans.

"Dom has just proven that he can be a step ahead of the defense," Brown said. "He sees the play before it happens and has the arm talent to match his IQ."


Brown thinks SOU's receiving targets are "way more dynamic than we've been," despite having lost their two rangy All-Frontier performers in Sawyer Cleveland and Jackson Clemmer. Senior Brandon Barthel, who logged the second-most receptions (21) and reception yards (403) on the team despite missing the last three games due to injury, is the lone starter back. He and another regular in 2024, junior Trevor Jaasko (6 receptions, 97 yards), will be counted on to stretch the field and backed up by redshirt-freshman Walker Bonar and junior Butte transfer Caden Simmons (27 receptions, 325 yards).

Dawson Douglas (3 receptions, 49 yards) will take over as a starter in the slot after being used sparingly as a redshirt-freshman. Behind him, the Raiders have perhaps their most pleasant training camp surprise: true freshman Donovan Glover, an all-state performer on both sides of the ball last year at Basic Academy in Las Vegas. Said Brown: "I think he's going to put people on notice really quick."

Senior tight end Jeremiah Faulstick (13 receptions, 108 yards, 2 TDs) is back for his fourth season with the team, his first as the clear starter. Milan Reilly and fullback-hybrid Ryan Pelton will back him up.


The readiness of a young offensive could be the greatest bellwether of success. Last year's battle-tested group was a luxury, helping the Raiders average 5.7 yards per carry (12th-best in the NAIA) and limit opponents to 13 sacks. They graduated all but one starter, senior left tackle Matthew Shaddle. Sophomore Luke Martindale won the right-tackle job, sophomore Hunter Greer and senior Emanuel Sanchez (moving in from tackle) will be the starting left and right guards, and Patrick Wooley is a redshirt-freshman center with big upside. It's a young front with younger backups: two true freshmen are on the depth chart.

"That's an issue most small-college teams are facing now," Brown said. "With social media and the transfer portal, the big guys are the first ones to go. That made last year's line pretty unique, but we think the guys we have now are ready to step in."


DEFENSIVE NOTES
Remember Spencer Kuffel? Back in May 2024, the postgame mood following a spring matchup with Japan's Kwansei Gakuin University was dictated not by the promise of Yates' five-touchdown breakout, but by an injury that the Raiders feared (correctly) would sideline Kuffel for the fall. The safety was coming off an All-Frontier first-team season in which he led the conference and ranked third nationally with six interceptions. The Raiders still managed to finish second among Frontier teams in points allowed (19.5) without him, but his return to an already veteran-laden defense has improved the mood considerably.

"It's amazing to have him back, not only as a playmaker but as a communicator," Brown said. "He is ultimately the one responsible for getting us lined up, he's the quarterback of the defense, and we really missed him."

With Kuffel healthy, senior incumbent Jaxon Jedrykowski – who ranked third on the team with 46 tackles – will move from field safety to strong safety. They're the leaders of a defensive backfield that also has returning starters on the corners in All-Frontier pick Jalin Speed (21 tackles, 1 INT), a graduate student, and senior Aukai Grace (13 tackles, 3 INTs). Darius Mims (29 tackles), a starter at nickel throughout his junior year, and sophomore Da'mon Carter (21 tackles, 2 INTs), a regular as a redshirt-freshman, round out the unit.


Pressure up front has been an SOU signature under third-year defensive coordinator Tyler Stinn, and the Raiders have six of eight players back from their 2024 defensive line rotation. They averaged 3.4 sacks per game each of the last two seasons, ranking fifth among all NAIA teams both campaigns. They will again feature the Frontier's best at that craft with senior Gabe Foster. The Butte transfer made a compelling FC Defensive Player of the Year case with 10 sacks and 14 ½ tackles for losses in his first season at SOU, leading the circuit in both categories.

"He's the bogeyman," Brown said of Foster. "He's not long but he moves like a linebacker and he's going to keep giving people fits with his physicality and quickness."

He's not the only one. The Raiders have proven commodities with junior tackles Brandon Dominguez (18 tackles, 2 ½ TFL, 1 ½ sacks), Bryson Kievit (14 tackles, 1 ½ TFL) and O'Shea Miller (25 tackles, 5 TFL, 3 sacks). Sophomore Josue Santos and senior Mipam Jampa will play on the end opposite Foster, and sophomore Caden McGowan will also back up.

"It really doesn't matter who starts because there isn't a huge drop-off," Brown said. "We feel pretty good about that spot."


The Raiders will have a new look at linebacker, needing to fill the shoes of two All-Frontier performers. They feel good about their chances: sophomore Raiden House, whom Brown calls "a freak of nature, and pound for pound probably the most athletic, dynamic kid on the team," is slotted in at weak linebacker after totaling 18 tackles as a reserve last year. At the starting strong spot is Will Kanavalov Jr., a junior transfer from Bakersfield C.C. (Calif.). There, as a sophomore, he recorded 65 tackles and 7 ½ for losses.

Behind them, they have seasoning in senior Brennick Beck (19 tackles) and a promising redshirt-freshman in Jojo Czyz.