MOORHEAD, Minn. (8/18/06)-- Horan breaks down the defensive line: “It will be a great battle for the two open spots. The competition for playing time will be the most hotly contested of any position on the field.”

Tyler Ledyard will be the spotlight player on the line. His quickness and footwork at defensive tackle have already drawn the attention of some NFL scouts. He led the team in sacks (9.0) in 2005 and had 13.5 tackles for a loss. Perhaps his biggest achievement last fall was when he sacked Linfield’s All-American quarterback Brett Elliot in the second round playoff game. It was the first time all season long that the Linfield offensive line had allowed a quarterback sack. Joining Ledyard will be fellow senior Matt Martinson. Martinson did a tremendous job freeing up his fellow defensive linemates from his spot at nose guard. His ability to fill the middle of the line will be needed even more this season.

The top candidates to fill the vacated defensive ends spots are Dustin Carlson, Clinton Strother and Adam Peterson. Carlson had an eye-opening game against St. John’s last season as he led the team with two sacks and forced a fumble. From that game on he was able to play at a higher level and gave the Cobber defense another weapon. Strother is the player who could be poised to have a Ledyard type of year. His quickness and speed from the end make him one of the toughest players to block on the team. He shined in the Cobbers’ opening round playoff game against Coe (Iowa) when he came up with one of his three sacks on the season and forced a fumble. Peterson played in 10 games last season and, like Strother, recorded three sacks.

Other players that will factor into the mix are Joey Twigg and Jon Mikkelson at the end positions and Luke Holt and Mike Christiansen as replacements for Ledyard and Martinson.