BEAUMONT, Texas – With the start of preseason camp in full swing, and Lamar University in the midst of drills, LamarCardinals.com will be doing its annual position-by-position breakdown of the team heading into the season opener against No. 8 Idaho (Aug. 31, 2023).
 
Today LamarCardinals.com will be breaking down the LU linebackers.
 
LBs Quick Facts:
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 7/4 
Starters Returning/Lost: 2/2
Newcomers: 10
 
Stats:
The Cardinals as a team ranked seventh in the league last season in scoring defense (37.7 ppg) and sixth in total defense (442.1 ypg). Obviously these are the same stats listed for the defensive line preview, but I neglected to list these stats for then so I will post them here – Big Red's defense also combined for 57 tackles for losses and 17 sacks in 2022.
 
The Storyline:
The Cardinals return half of their starters at linebacker from last season – Blake Gotcher (6-1, 225) and Jalen Freeman (6-1, 240) – that in and of itself is a positive. The duo combined for 24 starts 105 tackles, 12.0 tackles for losses, 9 quarterback hurries, 4.0 sacks, 3 breakups and three forced fumbles.
 
There is expected immediate leadership when you have returning starters. Having said that, just because a player is a returning starter is no guarantee they will be the starter the following season, even more so the ca se when you throw in a new coaching staff. It is a clean slate and every position is up for grabs.
 
With that being said the Cardinals also return letterwinners Robert Bonar (5-1, 225), Brayden Faulkner (6-1, 230), Vencent Rockwell (6-2, 230) and Jase Williams (6-2, 227). Williams played in five games during his redshirt freshman season while Rockwell is entering his fourth season with the team. During that time, he has played in 21 games earning 11 starts recording 62 total tackles including 3.0 for losses, while Bonar is a former transfer from Utah who played in four games for the Red and White last season. Faulkner was a member of the 2021 recruiting class who saw time in six games last season.
 
Add to that list 2022 redshirt Ian Box and the Cardinals should have a strong list of candidates to start putting their rotation together.
 
The coaches added 10 new players to the stable during the offseason. The incoming crop of talent includes Koda Canady (6-3, 210, Fr.), Royce Carver (5-10, 190, Fr.) – brother of LU running back R.J. Carver, Oliver Jack (6-1, 230, So.), Foday Jalloh (6-2, 235, Fr.), Kybo Jamerson (6-1, 205, So.), Joey Johnson (6-3, 197, Jr.), Codey Martin (5-10, 190, So.), Ken Savanah (5-11, 220, Jr.), Jonovan Tillis (6-3, 230, So.) and Jayron Williams (6-2, 250, Fr.).
 
The reason we listed the heights, weights and classifications for each student-athlete is because we here at LamarCardinals.com wanted the reader to take note of the Cardinals' size at the position. Obviously, size alone doesn't mean a player will be a standout, or even a contributor, but it's a decent starting point. We also listed the classifications, because Pete Rossomando and his staff brought in players at all levels meaning LU has a chance to see talent in waves at this position and that is exciting to think about for years to come.
 
A buzzword right now in college athletics is the transfer portal. There is no position on the Cards' roster where the transfer portal should have a bigger impact than at linebacker. Seven of the previously listed names come to Beaumont via the portal and six come from four-year schools with two each from Houston and UAB.
 
In the past, LamarCardinals.com has taken a little heat for claiming that too many positions will be (or should be) strengths, so I won't do that here. That's not to say that I think the linebackers will be a weakness simply that I'm willing to sit back and let the season play out – and let the season decide if they will be a strength. I do believe there are reasons to be excited. Having half of your starters back is a good place to start, add to that a ton of new faces (and let's face it there are standouts in this group just waiting for a chance to make a name for themselves so we need to let that happen) and this squad brings really good size to the field.
 
This will all play itself out on the field, and we get to sit back and watch that happen which is exciting because football season is here.