Talkington, Holzopfel Serve As Strong Linebacker Combo For No. 13 Eagles

Ashland University defensive coordinator Tim Rose has seen more than most anyone's fair share of quality linebackers over a 60-plus-year coaching career.
 
And Rose says that the current Eagles starting linebacker tandem of senior Ben Holzopfel and redshirt junior Jack Talkington has the potential to be as good as they come.
 
"Probably the two best at any one time were (current Canadian Football Leaguer) Mike Ayers and Jackson Myers," Rose said. "Those two kids were fantastic. These guys have a chance to be what they were collectively. These two guys together, if they stay healthy, they have a chance to be in that same range and arc, really."
 
Both Talkington and Holzopfel have been working toward the No. 13-ranked Eagles' season-opener on Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. vs. No. 25 Indiana (Pa.) at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field.
 
"I'm very excited. It's been a long time coming," Talkington said. "Excited to get back on the field. Excited to be back with the guys playing ball."
 
"We've got a lot of returning guys coming back, a lot of new faces who are showing up in fall camp that we're very excited about," Holzopfel said. "Coach Rose always, every year, brings excitement into the season, which gets us pumped up. We're excited to face IUP again."
 
Earlier this month, Talkington was named to the 2026 D2Football.com Elite 100 Watch List. A first-team All-Great Midwest Athletic Conference choice in 2025, he led the Eagles with 91 total tackles (41 solo) last fall, to go with three sacks, eight tackles for loss, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
 
Holzopfel, the team's 2026 nominee for the National Football Foundation (NFF) William V. Campbell Trophy, twice has been an All-Great Midwest second-teamer. In 2025, he finished with 48 total tackles (20 solo), one sack and 2½ tackles for loss. In 2024, Holzopfel was AU's leading tackler.
 
"We thought our strength was going to be our defensive line, which I still think it can be," Rose said. "Jack and Benny have got to be able to make the linemen right, just like the secondary has to make them right.
 
"So having two veterans, and the way they are playing, they are playing super-fast, playing super-athletic, super-physical. It's great having those two kids here."
 
Before they teamed up to make up Ashland's starting linebacker corps in the Eagles' 4-2-5 scheme, Holzopfel (Massillon Jackson) and Talkington (Canton Central Catholic) knew each other well from the Northeast Ohio prep ranks.
 
"We played against each other in high school for four years straight," Talkington noted, "so it's nice to have him on the same side of the ball. I like to think of him, he's more of the enforcer, he's a big, strong guy, and he's the brains of the operation.
 
"I'm just there, doing my job, trying to support him as best I can. But we play off each other really well."
 
Holzopfel added, "After three years being together now, I think we've developed a good connection. In high school, we knew how each other played. Playing together now these last three years, I think we complement each other really well."
 
As for what it's been like to play for Rose, both players had nothing but high praise.
 
"It's been something special," Holzopfel said. "He's really expanded my knowledge of the game. I wouldn't ask for any other position coach in my college career. He's been really special to me."
 
Talkington said, "Playing for Tim Rose, honestly, is a tremendous, tremendous honor. The experience, being able to learn from a great football mind like that is very, very nice. Why I love playing for him is he holds you to a certain standard. You have to go beyond, and you have to strive for excellence.
 
"I really, really enjoy it."
 
Rose is looking forward to getting a full season's worth of production out of both linebackers in 2026. Holzopfel missed three games in 2025, and Talkington played in only four contests in 2024.
 
"That is what they wrote down as one of their goals, to be healthy all year," Rose noted. "And we'll try to spell them enough. We've got quality linebackers (behind them). I want to keep them healthy and take a few reps off of their plate during the ball game."
 
Ashland's senior class which graduated following the 2025 season accomplished a lot – it was the first in program history to qualify for the NCAA playoffs three times and go to the postseason four times (including a bowl game), the first to win at least nine games in four consecutive seasons, and is tied for the most wins (38) for any graduating class.
 
As for what the 2026 seniors can do to potentially equal or improve upon those feats, Holzopfel said, "We want to build on to what the class before us already has built. They left a really great legacy, and we're hoping to build on that."