2021 Frontier Conference Preview: DB's

One of the hardest positions to recruit in NAIA football is the defensive back position. Really good cornerbacks and safeties are not only always a hit commodity in college football, they're also usually the difference makers in a championship-caliber defense.

And yet, year after year, there's always good secondaries in the Frontier Conference and this coming fall will be no different.

After the shortened spring season that substituted for the canceled fall season of 2020, plenty of top DBs return, including a trio of First-Team All-Conference performers from College of Idaho in Isaiah Abdul and Dorian and Taeson Hardin.

Defending Frontier champion Carroll College should also be really good in the secondary, led by First-Team All-Conference standout T.J. Abraham and Dawson Zebarth at safety, as well as All-Conference corner Zach Spiroff.

The secondary should also be a real strength for Rocky Mountain College. The Battlin' Bears return All-Conference performers Brail Lipford and Ty Reynolds, as well as Shamar Whetstone.

Montana Tech always has strong defensive backs as well, and while the Orediggers lost All-Conference standout Justin May after the 2019 season, head coach Kyle Samson will look to Jake Orris and Naoki Harmer to lead the way. And while Montana-Western also lost some firepower after the 2019 season, safety Kameron Rauser and corner Dylan Pope are both back, and should help what is already a stout Western defense.

Stout it also what the Montana State University-Northern Lights are hoping to be on defense this fall, led by new DC Mike Van Diest. And Van Diest inherits a secondary that does return First-Team All-Conference safety Hunter Riley and Second-Team All-Conference DB Josh Rose. Add to that the return of senior Damari Caul-Davis, while cornerbacks Isaiah Paul and Aiden Hoyt will be players to watch this season for what should be a formidable Lights' secondary.

Editor's Note: This is the sixth in the Havre Daily News' series of the top returning players in the Frontier Conference. Next up will be the running backs in Tuesday's HDN.