During the ACU football games, a name that students and fans most likely hear a lot over the loudspeaker while on defense is “Jeremiah Chambers”.

Chambers, a junior linebacker for the Wildcat defense, was recruited from Vista Ridge High School in 2015.

He said he started playing the game of football when he was a youth.

“My dad coached me when I was young in the Pop Warner league, around 6 or 7 years old, but I ended up loving it and it was always the No. 1 sport I played,” Chambers said.

He was on the varsity team in high school, starting his sophomore year and through senior year. In his junior season, he was awarded district newcomer of the year and was named to the second all-district team. He had an impressive senior year, making 150 total tackles and was named an all-state honorable mention by the Associated Press.

Aside from his individual accolades, Chambers’ high school team made the playoffs his junior year and ended the season with an 8-3 record. In his senior season, however, their team went 12-3 and made it to the state semi-final.

Chambers said he wasn’t highly recruited until his senior year, though.

“I started getting a lot more offers,” Chambers said, “then I came on a visit here and ended up loving it.”

Transitioning to the collegiate level was hard at first for Chambers, as he needed to adjust to new players and coaches. He made the adjustment, however, and has found passion for the game of football in his new team.

Defensive coordinator Tremaine Jackson was one of the adjustments Chambers had to make once he was a new hire for his sophomore year in the 2017 season.

Coming into the new job, Jackson said he took notice in Chambers’ skill.

“We noticed he had some talent, we noticed some plays he made as a true freshman,” Jackson said. “He had some abilities to help us in what we wanted to get done defensively.”

In his freshman year, Chambers appeared in seven games and made 20 total tackles. He was then promoted sophomore year to a starting middle linebacker job alongside the team’s career tackles record-holder, Sam Denmark. Chambers improved his tackle total during the 2017 season to 50.

As Denmark graduated last year, Chambers stepped into the role of replacing his strong production on defense. Through six games this year, he’s done just that, as he already shattered his tackle total from last season with 63 so far this year.

The Cedar Park native said he’s enjoyed taking on a bigger role for the team this year.

“I love every bit of it, the love of the game, love for the game it keeps me going and keeps me driven,” Chambers said

Although his numbers have been a big topic this year, Jackson said he means much more to the team than just statistics.

“In what we do, our mike linebacker, the defense goes through him,” Jackson said, “We were looking for a guy that can go sideline to sideline, and he brings that element. He’s also a thumper; he likes to go hit it.”

With five games left in the season, Chambers said he has some goals in mind for the team.

“We want to be the best defense in the conference and keep striving for that goal,” Chambers said. “We just need to keep a strong mentality and do the best we can.”

Chambers will play in front of a Homecoming crowd Saturday against Nicholls, and will face Southeastern Louisiana, Northwestern State, Sam Houston State and Central Arkansas for the final four games.