Ducks Gameday: 3 Red Wolves on Defense

Lots of turnover will make the Arkansas State defensive relatively weak overall. That doesn’t bode well going into Eugene, who hosts one of the best offensive machines in the nation after being oiled by new head coach Chip Kelly.

Dec 3, 2011; Jonesboro, AR, USA; Arkansas State Red Wolves linebacker Nathan Herrold (40) during the game against the Troy Trojans at ASU Stadium. Arkansas State defeated Troy 45-14. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-US PRESSWIRE

That doesn’t mean slip-ups can’t happen with a new freshman quarterback under center, and if there is any struggle, you can be sure that either of these three players will have their name by it.

Nathan Herrold (#40, Linebacker)

• Redshirt Senior from Ozark, Missouri
• 6-foot-3, 235 pounds

Herrold made the first team in Athlon’s Sun Belt All-Conference team last year, an improvement from the second team a year before. He had 66 tackles, good for 25th overall in the Sun Belt Conference. 3.5 of them were for loss. Both marks are career highs.

Another accomplishment is playing in every single game after being redshirted back in 2008. Herrold started in just one game is freshman year, but has since started in nine and 11 games his sophomore and junior years, respectively.

Don Jones (#5, Defensive Back)

• Senior JUCO from Mississippi Gulf Coast CC
• Originally from Town Creek, Alabama
• 6-foot-1, 208 pounds

Making Athlon’s Sun Belt All-Conference second team, Jones accumulated 54 tackles, 6.5 were TFL that combined for 25 yards, and broke up three passes. Last year was his first season with ASU as a JUCO transfer, and started in 10 games and played in every game.

Jones went to MGC after playing for the Red Wolves in 2009 as a running back. Overall, he completed three touchdowns with 149 yards on the ground and 146 in the air.

Other accomplishments last season include being named the Sun Belt special teams “Player of the Week” twice.

Ryan Carrethers (#98, Defensive Line)

• Redshirt junior from Nashville, Tennessee
• 6-foot-2, 310 pounds

Also an Athlon Sun Belt All-Conference second teamer, Carrethers finished with 29 tackles (although just three were solo) and three TFLs.

He found his game in the second half of the season last year, earning him a starting position on the line. His career high in a game is seven tackles, accumulated last season against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Brian Spaen is the lead editor for Autzen Zoo, follow the site on Facebook and Twitter. Read his other work on the Iowa State blog, Clones Confidential, and Lacrosse the Web.