The new reality for all college football programs is roster continuity has never been more uncertain. That reality is especially true for a group of five schools that reside in the C-USA, Sun Belt and of course, the Mid-American Conference.
Last off-season, Ohio was hit with a tidal wave of key contributors transferring out of Athens to find new homes, as players such as Keye Thompson, Kurtis Rourke and Sieh Bangura opted out of the bowl game after entering the portal.
The portal brought lots of skepticism about what the Bobcats revamped roster would look like come 2024, and if they would be able to continue the two-year streak of winning 10 games under head coach Tim Albin.
The skeptics were very wrong to doubt Ohio. The team took home its first MAC championship since 1968 and won 11 games for the first time in school history.
Those who paid close attention to the stellar Ohio defense last season would know that it all started up front, with defensive tackles Bralen Henderson and Cam Rice leading the way in the middle of the defensive line.
Looking forward to the 2025 season, Henderson and Rice are ready to run it back as the only two returning seniors on the defensive line.
“They know exactly what's going on in our defense,” Ohio defensive line coach Tremayne Scott said. “You're going to get back their explosiveness. You want to get back the athletic ability inside to be able to play first through third down or first through fourth down. It's a lot of things that these guys can do within our defense that make them special.”
The two players have taken different paths, with Henderson coming back for his fifth year at Ohio after coming to Athens from Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“In high school, I was a late bloomer, and I didn't play (defensive) line until senior year,” Henderson said. “When coach (Frank) Solich, coach (Tremayne) Scott and coach (Pete) Germano hit me up from Ohio, I just felt like it was home … it kind of fit the culture of football I played in high school, so everything worked out.”
As for Rice, he ended up being on the positive side of the transfer portal for Ohio, transferring last season out of West Liberty, a Division II school in West Virginia. Ohio is Rice’s third school in college, after Rice originally transferred to West Liberty from West Virginia University, located in his hometown of Morgantown.
“Coach Scott and coach Hauser, the defensive coordinator and the defensive line coach, reached out to me and they said they'd love to have me,” Rice said. “This is the best place I could see myself being at.”
Last season was the first year Henderson and Rice featured on the same defensive front, and the duo was scary for the rest of the MAC. They combined for 56 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and four sacks while helping Ohio to a MAC-best 92 opposing rushing yards per game.
After standout defensive end Bradley Weaver transferred to Rutgers, it was clear anyone was capable of transferring, especially on the defensive line. But it was the culture that has been instilled in Athens that brought back the defensive tackle duo.
“We won the MAC championship, (Tim Albin) leaves, and no guys hit the portal, everybody still played in the bowl game,” Rice said. “I think that's just a testament to the culture we have here at OU and how much we care about each other and how much the coaches care about us.”
For Henderson, it was no different.
“Just the success we've had these past years,” Henderson said. “I have had guys since I've been here as a freshman that have instilled the culture.”
Looking ahead to this upcoming season, it is clear that there is only one goal on their minds – getting back to Detroit and becoming the first team since 2011-2012 Northern Illinois to win the MAC title in two consecutive years.
“I don't really try to get too caught up on personal goals,” Rice said. “I just need to do my job, and if I do my job and the 10 other guys do their job, we're going to be successful … but yeah, MAC title, that’s the only thing I’m thinking about.”
