Jacobs must replace defensive leader, but has a lot back on that side

The impact linebacker Paulie Rudolph made on Jacobs defense the past four seasons is difficult to measure.

Golden Eagles coach Brian Zimmerman called Rudolph “one of the best linebackers to come through Jacobs.”

Rudolph, who will play at NCAA Division III Wisconsin-Platteville, was a Northwest Herald All-Area first-team selection the past two seasons and unquestionably the Eagles’ inspirational leader. He had the defensive players to his house every Thursday before games to review video, a role which safety Luke Gormsen will assume this fall.

“We’re definitely missing Paulie Rudolph, who was our leader last year. That’s a big miss,” Gormsen said at one of Jacobs’ early July workouts. “I’m trying to be a leader, make all the calls, get everybody in position. Trying to take away the big plays and try to be there if someone needs to lean on me.

“We also have some young guys who have to step up, but that’s every year. But we’re working on getting better and I think we’ll be there.”

Jacobs’ other key defensive graduation loss was tight end-defensive end Grant Stec, who is playing at Wisconsin. But Zimmerman likes what he sees with so many other players returning from a unit that allowed 17.6 points a game (third best in the Fox Valley Conference) last season.

Only Prairie Ridge (11.6) and Class 6A state champion Cary-Grove (16.3) allowed fewer points in the FVC. The Eagles (6-4) finished fourth in the FVC and lost to Lincoln-Way Central 23-14 in the first round of the Class 7A playoffs.

“You don’t replace Paulie. He’s a generational type of kid,” Zimmerman said. “The D-line is going to be our biggest strength, and our secondary. The linebackers are kind of up for grabs. We have to to some things to make sure we have the middle covered, but I like everything else we have back.”

PJ Barnes (6-foot-3, 245 pounds) and Andrii Tymoshchuk (6-4, 230) give Jacobs good size on the line, while Lucas Retzler, Connor Uhler and Vince DeLordo also will play up front. Barnes also will see time at linebacker.

Gormsen moves from linebacker to safety, joining returnees Owen Hoffman, Justin Gonzalez and Cooper Gulgren in the secondary.

“We’re in a good spot,” Hoffman said. “We have a lot of returning starters from last year who know what they’re doing. We have some new kids too, a couple freshmen who will have a big impact.

“We do everything well. We can cover the pass game, the secondary is good. The D-line and linebackers flow really well, so everything goes well.”

Zimmerman is excited to see what freshman Jack Coates (6-2, 190) can do at linebacker.

“He’ll be the next big-time player for us,” he said.

Barnes likes what he sees from the defense in summer workouts.

“I feel like we’re pretty advanced with where we’re at right now. We’re looking really good right now,” Barnes said. “We’re very aggressive. We fly to the ball, we want to make it hard for teams to run against us. We can control the passing game too.”

Zimmerman said Rudolph and former Eagles defensive player Ryan Golnick started the Thursday video sessions that Gormsen now will carry on.

“Luke will kind of be the general of the defense, kind of what Paulie did,” Zimmerman said. “He’ll have all the guys over on Thursday nights, the night before the game. They’ll do the film session. Paulie set that standard when he was a freshman. We’re excited for the defense, there’s a lot of talent.”