HANOVER — Macklin Ayers was not supposed to be the centerpiece of Dartmouth football’s linebacking corps this season.
After playing primarily on special teams in 2021 and finishing with just six tackles, Ayers was projected as a starter this fall, but in a linebackers room that includes senior Marques White and fifth-year Joe Heffernan, he did not go into the year as a key player opposing offenses would be preparing for.
Ayers may have changed that after just one game, leading the Big Green with 11 tackles and breaking up a pass in Dartmouth’s 35-13 home win over Valparaiso in his first collegiate start on Saturday.
“He’s all over the place,” head coach Buddy Teevens said postgame. “Quiet, unassuming, but deadly. It’s just fun having that many opportunities and converting on all those things.”
Ayers knew he would have a bigger role after White, who started every game last year and led the Big Green with five sacks and 9.5 tackles for a loss, tore his meniscus in the preseason, costing him at least the first two games. Junior Trevon Erickson, who started last season strong but did not make a tackle after the first two games, started in White’s place, leaving Heffernan, a part-time starter a year ago, as the most experienced healthy linebacker by far.
Heffernan did lead Dartmouth with five solo tackles, including one stop for a loss, but Ayers made his presence felt right from the start, teaming with fifth-year nose guard Luca Di Leo to bring down Beacons leading rusher Aaron Dawson after a two-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage.
Before the game, Di Leo said he’s learned to rely on his linebackers to help him finish off tackles.
“As I’ve developed here, (I’ve realized) I don’t need to make this play; I need to do my job so that my linebackers can properly scrape across the top and make the tackle,” Di Leo said.
“It’s a selfless game. I’m not here for the glory. I just want that ring at the end of the season.”
Ayers grew up in central Pennsylvania, forgoing a preferred walk-on offer at Penn State — where his maternal grandfather played center — to attend Dartmouth.
All but one of his tackles last year came on kickoff coverage, with the only stop he made on defense coming late in a blowout win over Princeton.
On Saturday, though, he had four tackles by the end of the first quarter, the last one coming on a third down deep in Big Green territory to hold Valparaiso to a field goal. Ayers later made two tackles and his first collegiate pass breakup during a four-play stretch in the third quarter.
“It was great as a defensive unit to step up. We started off a little slow but picked it up toward the end and started playing that Dartmouth brand of defense,” Ayers said.
“Our defensive line is one of the strongest parts of our team. It’s awesome to play behind them. They take up two guys all the time and make holes for us to run through. They help us out a lot as linebackers and they make a ton of plays themselves.”
Benjamin Rosenberg can be reached at brosenberg@vnews.com or 603-727-3302.