Roster outlook
The biggest story of the offseason for Ohio has been the number of departures that affected both the roster and coaching staff. Ohio lost key players through the transfer portal, graduation and players going to play professionally.
There will be a total of 58 new players on the roster this year, including both transfers and freshmen joining the team. The roster looks completely different from last year, so let's take a look at breaking down the roster for the 2024 season.
Starting at quarterback, Ohio saw a major change early in the offseason when longtime starter Kurtis Rourke decided to take his talents to Indiana. All signs currently point to Parker Navarro landing the starting job for Ohio this season. The former UCF quarterback started the Myrtle Beach Bowl for Ohio last season. He threw for 120 yards and one touchdown while adding 83 yards on the ground and leading Ohio to a win in the bowl game.
Ohio is coming into this year with a ton of talent at the skill positions, starting with sophomore running back Rickey Hunt, who broke onto the scene after a historic performance in the Myrtle Beach Bowl, tying the bowl game record for touchdowns with five and setting the Ohio record for touchdowns in a game.
Transfers headline the receiving core, with former Big Ten players Eamonn Dennis from Michigan and Eian Pugh from Illinois joining the team from the transfer portal. Chase Hendricks returns for his sophomore season and Coleman Owen joins from Northern Arizona as well. Redshirt freshman Mason Williams looks to be the guy to watch at tight end after he had 78 yards and one touchdown in his freshman year.
The offensive and defensive line units will feature a mixture of familiar and fresh faces. Starting on the offensive side of the ball, center Parker Titsworth returns as the likely anchor of the line. Returning alongside him are Jacob Dennison and Christophe Atkinson. Transfers like Tigana Cisse from Idaho State and Carson Heidecker from Division II Notre Dame College should also make an impact this season.
On the defensive side of the ball, Bradley Weaver is the biggest name returning for Ohio. He will be flanked by some fresh faces in transfers like CJ Doggette from Cincinnati and Sinn Brennan from San Diego State. Returning players expected to make an impact are Bralen Henderson and Kadin Schmitz.
Ohio is boasting a revamped linebacker core this season with the departures of Bryce Houston and Keye Thompson. Shay Taylor returns as an important piece in his redshirt junior year after his 2023 campaign ended with 20 tackles and one sack. Reiss Collier and Blake Leake are new faces via the transfer portal, with Collier joining from UAB and Leake coming from Bucknell.
The defensive backs are the one position that was largely untouched by the transfer portal departures, with Torrie Cox being the only significant loss in the secondary. Players like Tank Pearson, Jeremiah Wood, Roman Parodie and Austin Brawley will all be returning. They also added a Power Five corner in Michael Mack, who will be entering the team from Wisconsin.
Schedule outlook
Ohio enters 2024 looking at a well-balanced non-conference schedule mixed with a slew of exciting games within the Mid-American Conference.
To kick off the season, Ohio will make a trip to New York to take on Syracuse on Saturday, Aug. 31. The Orange represent one of two power-five opponents on Ohio’s schedule, the other being the South Eastern Conference’s Kentucky Wildcats, who Ohio will face on Saturday, Sept. 21. In 2023, Ohio took down power-five opponent Iowa State in Athens and will be looking to make it back-to-back years with a power-five win when it takes on Kentucky and Syracuse. Each of these games will be on the road for Ohio.
Other non-conference games include South Alabama on Saturday, Sept. 7, and FCS opponent Morgan State on Saturday, Sept. 14, each of which will be home games for Ohio. South Alabama will be Ohio’s home opener.
South Alabama is coming off an impressive season in the Sun Belt Conference, winning seven total games en route to a bowl game victory against the MAC’s Eastern Michigan. The Bobcats’ battle against the Jaguars could be a tightly contested match between two of the most successful small school programs of the last few years.
Ohio will open its MAC schedule with its homecoming game against Akron on Saturday, Sept. 28, at Peden Stadium. In the preseason coaches poll, Akron was projected to finish second to last in the conference. Last season the Bobcats took down the Zips 25-14 in Akron.
Looking at the pre-season coaches poll for the MAC, Ohio will be forced to play each of the top two ranked teams in Miami and Toledo, each of which will have a rivalry-type atmosphere.
The Bobcats will be looking for revenge on the Redhawks, its storied rival, after they all but ended the Bobcat's chances of a MAC Championship last season. After losing at home last season against Miami, Ohio will make the trip to Oxford on Saturday, Oct. 19, for this year’s edition of the Battle of the Bricks.
Additionally, this will be the first matchup between Ohio and Toledo since Ohio’s MAC Championship loss during the 2022 season. The Bobcats will have to make the trip to Toledo on Wednesday, Nov. 20, for the two’s matchup*.
Ohio will kick off its midweek MACtion schedule on Nov. 6 with a game on the road against Kent State on a Wednesday night. Ohio will host one midweek game this year against Eastern Michigan on Nov. 13.
Ohio will also take on Central Michigan on the road and Buffalo at home. The final home game of the season for Ohio will be against Ball State on Friday, Nov. 29.
