Chase Kline Opts Out of Bowl Game
Kline finished the 2023 season second nationally in tackle rate.
Tackling extraordinaire Chase Kline will not play in the upcoming 68 Ventures Bowl to face South Alabama said Eastern Michigan head coach Chris Creighton Thursday at the team press conference.
Kline, the middle linebacker who has captained EMU’s defense over the last two seasons after a transfer from Michigan State, was not listed on the team’s depth chart in the team’s game notes.
When asked about Kline’s omission from the depth chart, Creighton gave just a simple six-word answer: “He elected not to play anymore.”
What more explanation do you need?
Kline, originally from Chardon, Ohio, finishes his EMU career with 23 total games played, 234 total tackles made (89 solo), 7 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 6 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and one recovery.
Last year’s production wasn’t enough for Kline to see himself on an All-MAC roster at the end of year. This season Kline was plenty productive — his 143 total tackles rank third nationally (tied 10th in EMU history), 13.0 tackles per game averaged (2nd nationally), — though Kline wasn’t pleased to see himself on the MAC’s Third Team roster.
Against Akron, Kline recorded a FBS-leading 23 total tackles for the nation’s best single-game mark on the year, just two game after he had 21 tackles against Western Michigan.
Kline and weakside linebacker Joe Sparacio, another two-year transfer and team captain, were one of the best linebacking duos in all of college football, and are one of the best duos in school history as well. Sparacio currently has 132 total tackles for the season — the first time two EMU linebackers had 100+ tackles each since 2019 (Kobie Beltram 128, Vince Calhoun 108). It’s only the 12th time since 1999 (when counting stats started to matter) that this feat has been reached at EMU.
Kline becomes the first EMU player to “declare early” for the NFL draft since Maxx Crosby did in 2018, but there is a difference between the two’s decisions. Kline will be missing just the bowl game, but Crosby declared to skip his entire senior season three days after playing in the Camellia Bowl against Georgia Southern.
Including the seven players that have left EMU for the transfer portal, Kline becomes the eighth player from this year’s roster to miss the upcoming bowl game. The seven transfers out include: WR Tyron Bates, DE Mikah Coleman, LG Zack Conti, TE, C.J. Horton, DT Alex Merritt, TE Andreas Paaske, and QB Austin Smith.
