After spending two years at Arkansas State, Ashtin “Rusty” Rustemeyer put his name in the transfer portal and found a new home – five miles from his house.
The Lindenwood defensive lineman, who has played 22 games in the trenches for the Lions the past two seasons, became un-blockable during the final two games last year, racking up six tackles, two tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries and a sack.
“When I turned it up towards the end of the season, it gave me the confidence that I could do anything,” Rustemeyer said. “I carried myself differently. I felt there wasn’t anybody who could stop me, and if there was, it was going to take two of them.”
Rustemeyer, a fifth-year senior, will lead a hungry and deep Lindenwood front seven into battle when the Lions open their season at 6 p.m. Thursday, August 27 at home against conference rival Charleston Southern at Harlen Hunter Stadium.
A Lutheran High graduate, Rustemeyer had 218 tackles and 20 sacks in a three-year varsity career that culminated in a Class 2 state title in 2021. He played alongside defensive end Gabriel Rubio, a Notre Dame alum and recent sixth-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers who made six tackles in 21 snaps during his first NFL preseason game against Green Bay.
“It’s truly awesome. It just shows that what we did in high school prepared us,” Rustemeyer said. “Our D-line coach (Angel Rubio, Gabriel’s father) was teaching us in high school the (advanced) stuff that we do now. We were getting that training four or five years in advance.”
A lot of what Rustemeyer does helps the Lindenwood linebackers find clear paths to ball carriers. Senior Jacob Waller racked up 17 tackles in last year’s victory over Charleston Southern, helped by Rustemeyer’s ability to garner the attention and grasp of multiple offensive linemen.
“Because of his (interior line) position, Rusty is probably not a guy who’s going to be looked at all the time, but when you see what he does every game in the trenches, he makes opportunities for other guys to make plays,” Lindenwood coach Jed Stugart said.
After two years at Arkansas State, Rustemeyer put his name in the transfer portal and received interest from several schools. Lindenwood linebackers coach Alex Garcia sent him a simple message on X, the app formerly known as Twitter.
‘Are you ready to come home?’ Garcia wrote.
“I thought about it for a week or two, and said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it,’” Rustemeyer recalled. “I’ve been driving by Lindenwood for years. I never actually thought I’d end up here, but here we are, and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
And Lindenwood is thrilled with his decision.
Last year, a devastating Week 10 loss to Western Illinois could have derailed the Lions’ season, but Rustemeyer helped ensure it did not, by pitching a tent in the Eastern Illinois backfield the following week.
“I was just in that flow state,” Rustemeyer said. “I was locked in, all game.”
He repeated the dominant performance the following week at Southeast Missouri, and Lindenwood ended the season with two victories and a surge of momentum heading into to 2026. Rustemeyer feels that this year’s defense has the necessary ingredients to pick up where they left off.
“The key to being consistent is having good depth, and we do,” Rustemeyer said. “Our two-deep guys could be starters. It’s a toss-up at a lot of positions and that’s how it should be. That (depth) will help us progress through the season and make the statement that we’re a defense that can roll.”
In his spare time, Rustemeyer likes to be outdoors as an avid golfer, fisherman and hunter. Over the next few months, he will spend his time outdoors teeing off on quarterbacks, reeling in ball carriers and hunting down the football.
“He’s a throwback kind of guy and a great leader,” Stugart said. “He makes a big impact on the success of our team.”