Aug. 5, 2015 Meet the Bears: Peter Badovinac | Follow : @CoachBadovinac 
Throughout the course of the Bears' preseason training camp, we'll take a sneak peek at each position group in anticipation of the 2015 season. We open this year's preseason outlook with a glimpse of what the Missouri State linebacker corps has in store for the upcoming campaign, led by a pair of veteran returning starters and a total of six letterwinners.
The combination of graduation and a shift in defensive philosophy has given the Bears' linebacker group a bit of a makeover since MSU closed out the 2014 campaign, yet many of the key characters remain from a unit that turned in flashes of brilliance last fall. First-year MSU linebacker coach Peter Badovinac has been pleased with the transition in terms of the physical development of his returners, as well as their enthusiasm in embracing the new defensive approach implemented under new Bears head coach Dave Steckel and defensive coordinator Marcus Yokeley.
Headlining this year's group from one of the outside spots is junior Dylan Cole, an honorable mention All-Missouri Valley Football Conference pick who ranked sixth in the league in total tackles for losses (14.5). The Rogersville, Mo., product brought down 92 ball carriers overall to rank second on the team in 2014 and has started all 24 games of his MSU career. Fifth-year senior Christian Hoffmann is the most experienced returner in the middle after helping anchor the Bears defense the last two seasons. The Joplin, Mo., native brings a string of 21 consecutive starts into the 2015 season, including a breakthrough performance last fall that saw the three-year letterman notch 65 total tackles, good for fourth on the squad.
That duo helped the Bears mount one of the top turnover-generating units in the MVFC in 2014, and takeaways will once again be a focal point for Badovinac and the MSU linebackers.
"As a group, we made a great deal of progress in the spring," Badovinac stated. "We have to keep building on the strides we've made. This group has been willing to work and grow and they understand the need for them to be aggressive, make plays and get their hands on the football."
They will not be without a skilled supporting cast, according to Badovinac, who has been impressed with the depth and overall talent level displayed by the MSU linebackers since his arrival on campus this past winter.
"We feel confident that we'll have multiple guys on the field who can make impact plays," he added.
Pacing the remaining group of letterwinners at outside linebacker is Alexz Jones, who returns for his second year with the Bears after recording 29 stops in 10 games. Fellow sophomores Kurran Blamey and Ben Howard are also back for year number two in Maroon in White after solid debut seasons. Blamey saw action in all 12 games as a redshirt freshman last fall, recording 11 tackles--including 2.0 for losses--and a sack, while Howard earned his first MSU letter after appearing in eight contests.
Hoffmann will receive support from a pair of returners in Caleb Brammer and Sean Bernard. As a junior transfer last fall, Brammer saw the field six times, recording two stops, while Bernard made the most of his three contests, logging 11 tackles (2.0 for losses) before an injury brought his rookie campaign to a premature end.
Additionally, Badovinac expects the Bears' four talented newcomers to push the veteran linebacker group in camp and compete for playing time this fall. After redshirting last year, Easton Flaugh joins the mix after a standout prep career at Reeds Spring (Mo.) High School, where he was a two-time all-state selection. A pair of true freshman--McNeece Egbim and Ty McDuffey--could also factor into the Bears' linebacker rotation. Egbim helped his Rowlett (Texas) High squad to an 8-4 campaign last fall as a senior, earning his team's defensive most valuable player award, as well as 11-6A District 8 defensive MVP honors. McDuffey, from nearby Camdenton, Mo., was an All-Ozark Conference pick as a senior and part of three-straight playoff-qualifying teams that captured back-to-back conference and district titles. Junior transfer Daniel Allen joins the Bears after playing his freshman season at Central Methodist following a prep career in which he earned all-state, all-region, all-conference and all-district honors as a senior for Portageville (Mo.) High.
"There should be strong competition amongst our older, more experienced guys and our younger linebackers," Badovinac said. "We're going to look to the veterans to expand their leadership roles, to show the new guys the ropes and what it takes to compete in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and likewise, we're hopeful they can push the older guys to be even better. There is a lot of excitement in the linebacker room and we're eager to see what they can do on the field this season."
2015 Missouri State Linebackers
Daniel Allen (5-11, 200, Jr., Portageville, Mo.)
Dylan Cole (6-1, 236, Jr., 2L, Rogersville, Mo.)
Sean Bernard (6-3, 236, RFr., Wichita, Kan.)
Kurran Blamey (6-1, 208, So., 1L, Monett, Mo.)
Caleb Brammer (6-1, 208, So., 1L, Monett, Mo.)
McNeece Egbim (6-0, 201, Fr., Rowlett, Texas)
Easton Flaugh (6-2, 230, RFr., Reeds Spring, Mo.)
Christian Hoffmann (6-1, 227, Sr., 3L, Joplin, Mo.)
Ben Howard (6-1, 215, So., 1L, St. Louis, Mo.)
Alexz Jones (6-2, 228, So., 1L, Defiance, Mo.)
Ty McDuffey (6-2, 195, Fr., Camdenton, Mo.)
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