August 9, 2018-The Emporia State defensive front will be young, but has plenty of experience entering the 2018 season. Five Hornets on the defensive line and four linebackers played in at least seven games last season..

Junior Tre'Vaun Ammons, who earned second-team All-MIAA honors last season will anchor the Hornet defense. He led the MIAA and ranked 25th in the nation in tackles for loss last year and was second in the league in sacks.  He recorded 17.5 TFL, 8.5 sacks, and 53 total tackles to go with four forced fumbles, six quarterback hurries and an interception last season. He had a team high seven sacks to rank fourth in the MIAA as a freshman. He was also credited with nine quarterback hurries, five pass break ups and three forced fumbles.  Red-shirt freshman Cade Harelson and sophomore Klayton Goering should be in the running to back up Ammons. Junior Parker Bass played in nine games and started the last six as a sophomore. He had 27 tackles last season including 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Senior Logan Powell has played in 28 games over the last three seasons.

On the interior Marek Thompson played in all 11 games on the defensive line as a red-shirt freshman last season. He had 25 tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss last year. Junior Jackson Maase played in seven games last year after he saw action in four games and had a sack in the playoffs against Minn.-Duluth.  Sophomore Dylann Haworth played in seven games for the Hornets on the defensive line as a red-shirt freshman last season. Junior Brance Watts saw action in three games last year and has bounced back and forth from the offensive to defensive line in his career.

Senior Logan Thompson is the second leading returning tackler for the Hornets. He was the MIAA Defensive Player of the Week against Missouri Southern and finished the year with 53 tackles. He came on at the end of his sophomore season, tying his career high with seven tackles against Pittsburg State and  Ft. Hays State in the regular season and UMD in the playoffs. Sophomore Jace McDown is in line to replace first-team All-MIAA middle linebacker Gabe Cleveland.  McDown had nine tackles in ten games as a red-shirt freshman last fall. He had 121 tackles as a senior at Columbus HS and recorded 401 tackles in his career.

Seniors Orlando Sheets and Manny Cason bring experience back for the Hornets. Sheets had 24 tackles, 4.5 TFL and a fumble recovery in ten games last fall.  Cason had five tackles last season. The remainder of the linebackers will be newcomers or underclassmen.  Red-shirt Dawson Hammes will be in the mix at the middle linebacker spot.

No.    Player    Pos    HT    WT    CL    Hometown    High School/Previous  School        
17     Orlando Sheets     LB    5-11    207    Sr.     Oklahoma City, Okla.    Del City HS                
31     Jace McDown     LB    6-0    210    R-So.     Columbus, Kan.    Columbus HS                
33     Randall Friday     LB    6-1    202    R-Fr.     Fort Worth, Texas    Fossil Ridge HS                
34    Joshua Carrethers     LB    6-1    193    Fr.     Moore, Okla.    Moore HS                
36     Logan Thompson     LB    6-3    230    So.     Sedgwick, Kan.    Sedgwick HS/Kansas State            
38    Cade Harelson     LB    6-4    202    R-Fr.     Davenport, Okla.    Davenport HS                
43    Dawson Hammes     LB    6-0    204    R-Fr.     Rossville, Kan.    Rossville HS                
50     Klayton Goering     LB    6-2    211    R-So.     McPherson, Kan.    McPherson HS                
51     Darric Cashier     LB    6-0    212    Sr.     Carbondale, Kan.    Santa Fe Trail HS                
54     Logan Powell     DE    6-3    254    Sr.     Gardner, Kan.    Gardner-Edgerton HS            
55     Brance Watts     DL    6-2    271    Jr.     Sanger, Texas    Sanger HS                
56    Brett Sage     LB    5-11    190    R-Fr.     Osage City, Kan.    Osage City HS                
58     Manny Cason     LB    6-1    205    Sr.     Junction City, Kan.    Junction City HS                
59    Matt Johnson     LB    6-2    217    R-Fr.     Kansas City, Mo.    O'Hara HS                
60    Cody Swanson    DL    6-0    225    R-Sr.    Americus, Kan.    Emporia HS/Highland CC            
63    Carlos Taylor    DL    6-0    255    R-Sr.    Wichita, Kan.    Wichita Heights HS/Coffeyville CC        
68    Chad Gloudeman     LB    6-0     209    R-So.     Maize, Kan.    Maize HS                
73     Camren Proby     DL    6-1    245    Jr.     Oklahoma City, Okla.    Casady HS                
90     Parker Bass     DL    6-2    228    Sr.     Emporia, Kan.    Emporia HS                
91     Marcellus Edwards     DL    6-3    260    Sr.     Little Rock, Ark.    Decatur Central HS/Ark. Baptist        
92    Jahmek Murphy    DL    6-2    280    Jr.-TR    Staten Island, N.Y.    Tottenville HS/ASA College            
93     Marek Thompson     DL    6-4    287    Jr.     Osceola, Mo.    Osceola HS                
94    Anthony Burton     DL    6-3    237    R-Fr.     Olympia Fields, Ill.    Rich Central HS                
95     Tre'Vaun Ammons     LB    6-4    225    Jr.     Omaha, Neb.    Omaha North HS                
96    Hawkens Taylor     DL    6-2    233    R-Fr.     Marcus, Texas    Marcus HS                
97     Isaiah Miles     DL    6-0    260    R-So.     Blue Springs, Mo.    Blue Springs South HS            
98     Jackson Maase     DE    6-3    255    Jr.     Overland Park, Kan.    Blue Valley HS                
99     Dyllan Haworth     DL    6-1    310    R-So.     Weatherford, Okla.    Weatherford HS                
RS    Jack Barger    LB    6-0    210    Fr.    Desoto, Kan.    Desoto HS                
RS    Peyton Fansher    LB    6-0    180    Fr.    Blue Springs, Mo.    Blue Springs HS                
RS    David Johnson    LB    6-0    205    Fr.    Lawrence, Kan.    Free State HS                
RS    Levi Messner    LB    6-0    190    Fr.    Jones, Okla.    Jones HS                
RS    Maquay Shaw    DL    6-3    260    Fr.    Haskell, Okla.    Haskell HS                
RS    Joseph Stout    DL    6-3    230    Fr.    Cottonwood Falls, Kan.    Chase County HS                
RS    Jordan Williams    DL    6-1    260    Fr.    St. Louis, Mo.    Hazelwood East HS                

Tuesday was the first of five days of position previews for the Emporia State football team beginning with the receivers. On Friday the defensive front is featured while the defensive secondary will wrap things up on Saturday before Sunday's Media Day at Welch Stadium.