Toledo football coach Jason Candle has no secrets in recruiting, with one main philosophy.
“Trust your own eyes and evaluations,” Candle said in an interview with HERO Sports. “You’ve got to really get through the weeks and build strong relationships with players that are like-minded like yourself.”
This philosophy has worked well for Candle, who took over as head coach in December of 2015.
This season, the Rockets had the highest-ranked recruiting class in the Mid-American Conference, according to 247Sports. Entering his ninth season as head coach at Toledo, Candle has earned the MAC’s top recruiting class six times.
Candle says the quality of the person is a major factor when the Rockets recruit.
“We don’t bring anybody in the program who is an at-risk character person,” he said. “We recruit guys who love football.”
Make no mistake, the players have to be talented, but at the Group of Five level, Candle is looking for players who have the ability to grow. That is up to the coaching staff to develop the players.
“We know we are a developmental program,” he said. “There are only about 10-12 programs in the country who are not.”
This is a program that has reaped the benefits of strong recruiting.
Toledo went 11-3 this past season, earning a berth in the MAC championship game before losing to Miami (OH) 23-14. Under Candle, the Rockets are 65-35 and have won two MAC championships.
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The Rockets are bringing in 35 new players, consisting of 23 high school recruits, three junior college transfers, and nine transfers from four-year schools.
With NIL having such a profound impact on college football and really all sports, this type of turnover should be common for Power Five and G5 schools.
Rather than complain about the difficulties of building a team in the NIL era, Candle says the key is adapting to this new environment.
“Everybody wants consistency, but that isn’t what it is,” he said. “The key is you’ve got to have a great offseason and do things right.”
Even a program such as Toledo isn’t able to keep all key players.
Among those who have transferred is All-MAC quarterback Dequan Finn, who was named the winner of the Vern Smith Leadership Award as the top player in the MAC. Finn is now at Baylor.
Running back Peny Boone, like Finn, a first-team All-MAC selection, has transferred to Louisville. Another first-team selection, offensive lineman Vinny Sciury, has transferred to Texas Tech.
And of course, there is the loss of cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, who is projected to be a first-round draft choice in this year’s NFL Draft.
Still, Candle, the MAC coach of the year this past season, feels there are plenty of reinforcements as the team begins spring practice on Feb. 26.
“The strength to me is the sum of the parts,” he said. “We have good connectiveness and togetherness.”
The Rockets also have some awfully good players.
There are several expected contributors from the transfer portal, including offensive lineman Jakob James (6-5, 297), who appeared in 24 games during his four years at Ohio State. He appeared in nine games this past season.
Among the key returning players are first-team all-conference selections – wide receiver Jerjuan Newton, safety Maxen Hook, and running back Jacquez Stuart, who earned his honors as a return man.
Newton had 52 receptions for 696 yards and nine touchdowns. Stuart was third in the nation with a 29.1 kickoff return average and scored a touchdown. He also rushed for 574 yards (5.2 avg.) and six scores. Hook contributed 69 tackles, with three interceptions and four pass breakups.
While Finn enjoyed so much success, it appears as if junior Tucker Gleason is the leader to replace him at quarterback. Over the past two seasons, Gleason has had to fill in at times for an injured Finn. Plus, Gleason was the starter in Toledo’s 16-15 loss to Wyoming in this past year’s Arizona Bowl.
This past season, Gleason completed 28 of 55 passes for 383 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception.
“Tucker Gleason has had a few starts due to Dequan Finn’s injuries, and he played well,” Candle said. “He would be the frontrunner right now, and (sophomore) John Alan Richter is a younger player who has a strong, talented arm and can make all the throws you can ask. Those guys are in the forefront.”
In the past few offseasons, Candle’s name has been floated as a potential Power Five coaching candidate, but he has remained at Toledo and is looking forward to continuing the success.
“I have a great thing here and it’s a great place to be, with a great staff and players to work with,” Candle said. “I don’t have to chase things, I am in a good spot.”
