Missouri State Football: Tahj Chambers is an experienced player for the group of young linebackers
This is the ninth in a series of stories from Missouri State’s preseason training camp ahead of the Bears’ season opener on Aug. 31 at third-ranked Montana.
Springfield is Tahj Chambers’ kind of city.
It’s not too much for the Missouri State linebacker, and it’s not so small that he feels like his favorite amenities aren’t there.
“Coming from a large area like Dallas-Fort Worth, it’s a good size,” said Chambers, who is from Arlington, Texas. “Springfield is a beautiful college town. The living conditions are perfect and there’s everything you could want.”
He enters his fifth year on the Bears roster at a time when college athletes are transferring schools more frequently than ever, and Chambers clearly likes his situation in the Queen City.
It helps that he is MSU’s primary linebacker and one of its strong leaders.
Chambers leads a newly formed group of linebackers looking to help a defense with deep experience in the secondary and along the defensive line make up for the Bears’ 2023 performance, in which they allowed 425 yards and 30 points per game.
Chambers echoes what many have been saying throughout training camp in August and believes there has been significant improvement overall.
“I think we’ve improved tremendously on defense in every aspect of the game,” Chambers said. “The depth is better and the players are better. We’ve really focused on coverage and learned how to balance players instead of playing in zones.”
Chambers is a former outstanding receiver
Chambers’ career stats aren’t mind-blowing from his weakside position, but he’s been a fixture since his freshman year as a player, a coronavirus-altered 2020 season in which the Bears won a conference title. He was redshirted in the fall of 2021.
Entering his fifth year at MSU, he has 108 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three fumble recoveries, seven passes defensed and two interceptions.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Grace Prep Academy product made a name for himself in the Bears’ 2022 season opener at Central Arkansas, recording six total tackles, one sack and one interception.
If it seems like Chambers moves like a speedy defensive back with the body of a linebacker, it’s because he’s one of the Bears’ most versatile athletes.
Chambers was recruited by Football Bowl Subdivision schools such as Colorado and Toledo for his merits as an athlete, particularly as a wide receiver. His high school recruiting pages, which noted that his 40-yard dash time was in the 4.49 second range, featured many videos of him driving defenses crazy with his speed and overwhelming defensive backs when he had the ball in his hands.
He was even more threatening defensively in Texas private school competitions.
Weeks before announcing his commitment to Missouri State, he was on a recruiting visit to Virginia. Missouri State immediately gave him the opportunity to contribute.
“The coaching staff was completely dedicated to developing me as a player,” Chambers said. “My goal was to get to the NFL, and they made sure we kept getting better to achieve our ultimate goals.”
A new group of linebackers
A year ago, linebackers Chambers, Jared Lloyd and Von Young were three of Missouri State’s top six tacklers, combining for 163 stops.
Lloyd, a strongside backer and rising prospect, suffered a knee injury in a motor home accident in June and will miss the 2024 season. Young is gone after five seasons in the program.
In Missouri State’s two preseason scrimmages, players like Kanye Young, who totaled 10 tackles against North Dakota State as a substitute in 2023, have been promoted to the first team.
Dallas Winner-Johnson has also impressed in his sophomore season in college. At 6’5″ and 230 pounds, Winner-Johnson has the look of a high-level tight end, but his range and feel for the football have made him a special young player in head coach Ryan Beard’s scheme. Michael Teason, a 6’2″ redshirt freshman, is also in the mix.
Chambers, who said the defense has largely dominated preseason practice, has helped the young group get up to speed.
“I’ve seen guys switch in the linebacker group and they’ve caught on quickly,” Chambers said. “That speaks to their high football IQ.”
