ST. PAUL, Minn. – On Thursday, August 31, Concordia-St. Paul kicks-off the 2023 season at 6:30 p.m. at Sea Foam Stadium in the program's first non-conference game since 2011, hosting former NSIC member Upper Iowa in the Peacocks' first season as members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC).
 
This article is the second of a three-part series previewing the 2023 Golden Bears, providing a look at the Concordia defense. Part one looked at the program as a whole and the special teams, and part three will feature the offense in tomorrow's preview finale.
 
Concordia's last non-conference game was a 43-31 road triumph to open the 2011 season at Minot State, a year in which the Golden Bears finished 6-5 overall. Upper Iowa had been members of the NSIC from the 2006-07 to 2022-23 academic years.
 
The season opener is St. Paul Day, sponsored by the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) and also marks move-in day for CSP students, who will be welcomed to campus with the students-only Comet's Cookout featuring a local DJ prior to the game on the plaza.
 
BUY TICKETS ONLINE – AVOID THE LINE!
Fans are encouraged to buy tickets in advance and bring your QR code to the gates to skip the line! New for 2023, Concordia will be a cashless ticket experience for fans, so if you don't purchase ahead, make sure to bring your card to make your purchase at the gate.
 
Friends and families who utilize the pass list will also be utilizing the online ticketing service, while faculty & staff will access their free CSP tickets through the service. CSP students will have their all-sport season passes sent directly to their csp.edu email address.
 
Fans do not need to create a login, remember a username or password or download an app to purchase tickets. BUY ONLINE
 
WEATHER OUTLOOK
With just a few days until kickoff, the forecast calls for mostly sunny skies and a high of 83 degrees on Thursday, with temperatures cooling to an evening low of 64 and winds in the 15mph SSE range shifting to from the south, blowing right to left when facing the field from the main grandstand. Sunset is 7:51 p.m., which should be around halftime.
 
WATCH ONLINE – NSIC NETWORK
All Golden Bear NSIC football games will be available to watch online, free of charge, powered by the NSIC Network, and supported by BlueFrame Technology.
 
Visit nsicnetwork.com/cspbears on a laptop or desktop computer, download the NSIC Network app on your mobile device or watch on your supported OTT provider such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV. Search "NSIC Network" and download the app for the league's full sport and team lineups. NSIC NETWORK FAQ
 
All home games will feature the play-by-play broadcasting provided by Dan Flanagan, the voice of the Golden Bears for over a decade. The St. Paul, Minnesota native studied broadcasting at Fordham University (N.Y.) where he was the voice of the Rams' football and basketball teams in the NCAA Division I Patriot League.
 
DOWNLOAD THE APP
Fans can download the CSP Bears fan app, free of charge and available in the App Store or on Google Play. The app contains rosters, schedules, scores, stats, news, social media and more! Customize your options to get notifications to your favorite teams, as well. Search "CSP Bears" in the app store to stay up-to-date on Golden Bear athletics.
 
LISTEN TO THE COACHES SHOW
The Coaches Show with Shannon Currier is back on the Twin Cities airwaves for a fourth season, once again hosted by Wally Langfellow of Minnesota Score. The show airs following the Minnesota high school football game of the week, typically on Friday evenings in the 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. hour on KYCR 1440 AM radio, available in the Twin Cities metro area.
 
The show typically features two segments with Coach Currier along with a segment with Langfellow joined by a pair of student-athletes.
 
For fans who miss the show or are outside of the radio station's Twin Cities reach, the entire show is accessible via the CSP Bears Podcast, available in Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Play Music. It will typically be uploaded late Friday night (after the initial air time) or Saturday morning prior to the game. Search 'CSP Bears' into your favorite podcast provider!
 
CAPTAINS / HONORARY CAPTAINS
CSP head coach Shannon Currier and the Golden Bear coaching staff have continued the program's tradition of selecting rotating weekly game captains for the fifth season in a row. Captains are selected by the coaching staff based on performance on the field and off, as a leader in practice and in day-to-day activities.
 
The season opener's game captains are junior quarterback Conner Cordts, junior guard Taylon Hensley, junior safety Cyrus McClure and sophomore linebacker Richard Wauer.

Concordia will welcome honorary game captains Rev. Dr. Steve Daniels, Jr., Pastor of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in St. Paul, along with Marte Marshall, Assistant Director of Residence Life at CSP.
 
SERIES HISTORY: CONCORDIA 11, UPPER IOWA 4
Concordia's 24-6 win in the 2021 home opener at Sea Foam Stadium pushed the Golden Bears' winning streak to three games in the series against the Peacocks, improving to 7-1 in home games and 5-1 in games at Sea Foam Stadium (2009-present).
 
In his second career start, then-freshman quarterback Conner Cordts completed 20-27 for 249 yards and two touchdowns. He connected with nine different receivers and targeted 10 options in the pass game. Then-redshirt freshman running back Jaylin Richardson added 13 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown. The CSP defense stifled the Peacocks with five sacks, a 3-0 advantage in the take-give and held the Peacocks to 257 yards of total offense.
 

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SEASON PREVIEW PART 2: DEFENSE
A combination of young impact starters with game experience, impact transfers and 2022 redshirts poised to breakout comprise the 2023 Golden Bear defense.
 
None encapsulate the brand more than third-year starting safety Cyrus McClure, who broke out in a big way in the 2022 season opener with two interceptions against a strong Augustana squad in a competitive, hard-fought loss.
 
With 19 games under his belt and a wealth of experience playing alongside Rhett Sheehan in the secondary, McClure has amassed 83 tackles including 55 solo and 1.5 for loss, defended eight passes including four interceptions (all in 2022) and added a forced fumble and a blocked kick. Last year was the breakout season, something he'll look to impart on fellow second-year starters such as cornerbacks Zantavious Graham, Hudson Jean, along with linebackers Richard Wauer and Jawon Carr and defensive end Javon Jones.
 
The breakout threats come from the likes of redshirt freshmen defensive ends Kendis Ledbetter and DJ Jones.
 
The defense doesn't feature a single senior (or true freshman) on the preseason two-deep, either, with juniors like defensive tackles Koffi Gbekle and Brad Walker looking to stuff the middle, Brayden Hilgemann back from injury at SAM linebacker, and Anthony Ukofia expected to start alongside McClure at free safety.
 
Additional defensive transfers joining Ledbetter who are expected to make an impact include defensive tackle Islee Cassidy and MIKE linebacker Abe Schwinn, among others, as the team enters 2023 with depth and competition that should see the team playing physical football deep into the fourth quarter, and more importantly, deep into the season.
 
MEET THE BEARS: SECONDARY
When head coach Shannon Currier was asked about the team's performance in fall camp, he highlighted the secondary as a position group that has stood out as a highly improved unit.
 
"Coach Craig Stern thinks it's the best secondary we've had," said Coach Currier. "It features a phenomenal corner group led by 'Fat' (Zantavious Graham) and Hudson Jean, and Cyrus McClure and Anthony Ukofia have stepped up as safeties."
 
Graham was a starter as a true freshman a year ago, locking down the corner position with 47 tackles including 35 solos and seven pass breakups. His season included a high of 10 tackles against a strong Minnesota Duluth squad. Jean, meanwhile, picked up his first career start in a season that saw him compete in nine games with 11 total tackles and a pass breakup.
 
Playing alongside McClure at safety, Ukofia has now played in 21 games, primarily as a reserve and key special teams standout, compiling 22 career tackles (18 solo), adding a tackle for loss, forced fumble and blocked kick.
 
The unit also features excellent depth with two-year starter McKinley Egland-Young bringing 19 career games and 40 tackles with five pass breakups to the table.
 
"McKinley is a two-year starter, and now in a new role which shows just how much we've improved at the corner." Poised to join the cornerback depth is redshirt freshman Dilan Williamson from Kenosha, Wisconsin, while Kendrick Maynor Jr. brings versatility and depth to the secondary, playing in six games with 11 tackles last season. The other backup safety slot belongs to redshirt freshman Machai Campbell from Orlando, Florida.
 
While true freshman will not be counted on across the field this year, at least looking through the crystal ball in August, Currier has liked what he's seen from the true freshman crop of defensive backs including Josiah Abrams, Armani Green, and Basit Adesanya.
 
"They are long athletes who can be phenomenal corners someday – they stand out," he stated. "We are solid there, though, and we are fortunate that we don't need to rush anyone out there on the field just yet."
 
MEET THE BEARS: LINEBACKERS
Shortly after his praise about the secondary when discussing standout positions in fall camp, Currier had a natural transition to the linebacker unit, but for different reasons.
 
"We are deep at linebacker, where we have a variety of high-character players and strong leaders," he said. "Richard Wauer, Carter Otto, Brayden Hilgemann are all on the leadership council, and all three are also key players for us at the LB position. We also have the addition of transfer Abe Schwinn at the MIKE where he's vying for the number one spot with returner Jawon Carr."
 
At that point, Currier paused, ready to elaborate with enthusiasm for what he sees, specifically at the MIKE position, but applying it to the team at-large as a general concept, "They'll both (Abe and Jawon) play. They have different strengths to utilize. Sometimes football players in general get caught up with 'who is the starter,' but we need different skillsets for different situations. It's a long year, guys need to share roles, we need to play to strengths and exploit opponents' weaknesses. These guys compliment each other – and we see that at more positions than just the MIKE, and it's a big difference in improving this club."
 
Schwinn comes to CSP from Division I Abilene Christian but is initially a St. Paul native while Carr saw solid playing time as a reserve linebacker, securing 18 tackles in 10 games as a redshirt freshman last season.
 
Along the theme of returning starters and younger impact players, the two outside linebacker positions see that dynamic at play.
 
At the SAM position, junior Brayden Hilgemann was among the league-leading tackles through the middle of the 2022 season in a breakout season before succumbing to a season-ending injury in week six. He finished the year with 37 tackles in six games, adding 2.0 for loss, an interception and a sack – along with the instincts to make plays in big spots.
 
He'll be backed up by sophomore Carter Otto, who, like Carr, saw significant action as a redshirt freshman in 2022, securing 17 tackles in nine games including 1.5 for loss, a pass breakup and a forced fumble.
 
At the WHIP, sophomore Richard Wauer returns after starting all 11 games at various linebacker spots in 2022, breaking out with 54 tackles, 3.5 for loss, a pair of pass breakups and a fumble recovery. He had a high of 10 tackles against a physical Minnesota State squad. He'll be backed up by redshirt freshman Ben Rehl, who nearly found himself in a role as a true freshman, showing just how poised he is to making an impact in 2023.
 
Lastly, the team is excited for the potential return of sophomore Caden Baarts, the team's opening day starting SAM in 2022 before falling to a season-ending injury after one game, with the team employing four different starters at the position throughout the year, not including a pair of games without a starting SAM in lieu of a fifth starting defensive back.
 
Baarts suited up in nine games in 2021, making 26 tackles in his first taste of college football, and opened the 2022 season with eight tackles against Augustana before his season ended.
 
MEET THE BEARS: DEFENSIVE LINE
On the defensive line, putting together a two-deep doesn't do this unit justice, as they feature three or four players at some spots, combined with versatility that will help the Golden Bears battle in the trenches during physical NSIC football games deep into the contest.
 
"Our standout performer in this group is Koffi Gbekle," said Coach Currier. "He's up to 320 pounds, runs a 5.25 and had a strong finish last year. It's a strong interior, he'll be joined by Brad Walker, he's in his third year and he's battled through some things that kept him from getting consistent reps in games, but we're excited to see him do the things we know he can do this year."
 
The interior line also features returning backup sophomore Keyshawn Pettis while junior transfers Islee Cassidy and McKinley Neville round out the group, bringing strength, depth and experience to the position.
 
Last year, Gbekle had 41 tackles including 4.5 for loss and 3.0 sacks, adding a pair of batted down balls. He had his two sacks late in the year at MSU Moorhead. Walker, meanwhile, suited up in three games including a start last season, picking up five tackles, while the year before as a freshman he played nine games with 11 tackles and a pair for loss with his first career sack at Minnesota Duluth.
 
Pettis also picked up key experience, playing in all 11 games with 28 tackles, 4.0 for loss and a half sack.
 
The defensive ends include one of Concordia's top wins during the winter recruiting period with the addition of one of the top recruits from South Dakota, Kendis Ledbetter, a redshirt freshman transfer from the University of North Dakota.
 
The starting anchor, Ledbetter's counterpart on the other end position at the evil is another redshirt freshman DJ Jones from Jackson, Mississippi, bringing youth to the edge.
 
Backing them up is junior Ryan Martin behind Ledbetter and sophomores Javon Jones and Drake Teal behind D.Jones.
 
Adding another redshirt freshman to the end position, Currier is also excited about the development and camp performance from Blake Siebert from Cumberland, Wisconsin.
 
Martin brings the most experience to the position with 17 career games including 16 tackles, a tackle for loss and pass breakup while J.Jones experienced a breakout last season with 16 tackles in 10 games including 6.5 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks with a 3.5 sack performance at MSU Moorhead late in the season.
 
Defensive end runs at least six-deep with Teal, a returning starter, also in the mix after playing all 11 games including seven starts in 2022, finishing with 25 tackles, 3.0 for loss and 1.5 sacks.