Southeast Missouri State University Athletics

2019 Preseason Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year…Named to the 2019 Preseason All-America Teams by Athlon Sports, Lindy’s Sports, HERO Sports and Street & Smith’s…Two-time All-OVC selection…Ranks among SEMO career leaders in tackles (12th, 283), sacks (5th, 12) and tackles for loss (5th, 30.5)…One of 12 First-Team All-Americans in program history…Three-year starting linebacker who enters his senior year with 15 double-digit tackle performances.

2018: Became the first player in Southeast Missouri history to win the Buck Buchanan and Athletics Directors Association (ADA) National Defensive Player of the Year awards…Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year…Was named to eight different All-America teams, including American Football Coaches Association (second-team), Associated Press (first-team), ADA, Athlon Sports, HERO Sports (first-team), Phil Steele (first-team), STATS (first-team) and Walter Camp Football Foundation (second-team)…Earned First-Team All-OVC accolades…STATS National Defensive Player of the Week (9/3)…Three-time OVC Defensive Player of the Week (9/2, 10/28, 11/18)…Started all 13 games at inside linebacker…Broke a single-season school record with 168 tackles…Had a team-high 67 solo stops…Ranked second on the team with 12 tackles for loss and tied for the team lead with four interceptions…Had two sacks, two pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, four forced fumbles, a blocked kick and a safety…Ranked among the top 20 Football Championship Subdivision leaders in total tackles (1st), forced fumbles (t13th) and solo tackles (20th, 5.4 per game)…Led the OVC in total tackles, tackles per game (12.9) and forced fumbles, tied for fifth in interceptions and tied for seventh in fumble recoveries…Opened the season with a career-high 22 tackles at Arkansas State (9/1), third-most in a game in school history…Led the Redhawks in tackles nine times…Posted double-digit tackles in all but three of his starts…Had 14 or more tackles seven times…Finished with an interception in three-straight games – at UT Martin (10/27), vs. Tennessee State (11/3), at Murray State (11/10)…Posted double-digit tackles in seven-straight games (10/13-11/24)…Recovered a fumble in the end zone vs. Tennessee Tech (10/6).

2017: Second-Team All-OVC selection...Started 11 games at inside linebacker...Led the Redhawks in tackles (79), tackles for loss (15) and sacks (9)...Also forced a fumble and blocked a kick...Turned in 10 or more tackles in four of his final five starts of the season...Ranked eighth in the OVC in tackles, fourth in sacks and third in tackles for loss...Rated 18th in the nation in sacks and 27th in tackles for loss...Blocked a field goal vs. Southern Illinois (9/16)...Tallied a season-high 11 tackles at Jacksonville State (10/28)...Finished with 10 tackles at Austin Peay (10/21) and Tennessee State (10), and vs. Murray State (11/18)...Recorded multiple sacks in two games with a season-best three at Jacksonville State...Had four tackles for loss and two sacks to go along with his 10 tackles at Tennessee State...Posted his first career forced fumble vs. Tennessee Tech (10/14).

2016: Appeared in 11 games and started two at inside linebacker...Won the team’s Defensive Newcomer award...Registered 36 tackles, including 16 solo...Added 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one fumble recovery and a pass breakup...Collected 10 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in his first career start vs. Jacksonville State (11/5)...Finished with four or more tackles in five contests...Had first career sack against Austin Peay (10/29)...Southeast Scholar-Athlete.

Prep: All-State and All-District honoree at Male High School...Helped the Bulldogs go 15-0 and win the Class 6A State Championship in 2015...Male High School ranked #9 in the nation by USA Today...Was teammates with wide receiver Zack Smith, who signed with Southeast in 2016

Personal: Born October 23, 1997...Majoring in General Studies...Son of Amy Kaelin.