Ohio had two linebackers ranked in the top 10 in the MAC in tackles last season.
Bryce Houston and Keye Thompson were some of the most productive defenders in the league. Houston has since graduated and Thompson transferred to Pittsburgh. Both were voted first-team all-conference last season. They were part of a defense that led the MAC in total defense (273.9 yards per game) and scoring defense (15.8 points per game).
Now the Bobcats will have to replace them and a lot of other production.
Ohio Football Defensive Returners
There will be five players returning for Ohio’s defense who started in at least one game last season. A defense that often utilizes five defensive backs in a nickel-heavy scheme, it’s a good thing most of this returning production is from the secondary.
This includes safeties Austin Brawley, Adonis Williams Jr. and Jeremiah Wood. All three guys seemed to have played a nickel role at some point in the season. Brawley finished the year with 41 tackles, two pass breakups, and two interceptions. Williams had 40 tackles, two PBUs, and one pick.
Wood will be an interesting one to watch this season. He finished 2023 with 26 tackles, five PBUs, an interception, and a forced fumble. Having spent some time playing outside linebacker for the Bobcats early in his career, he’s versatile, physical, and should have a productive 2024 campaign.
The Bobcats also bring back Tank Pearson and Roman Parodie who both saw starts at cornerback last year. Perason hauled in two interceptions to go with a PBU, and Parodie had a pass breakup and two fumble recoveries.
Braelen Henderson is the lone big contributor returning in the front six for this defense. The Bobcats allowed just 91 YPG on the ground in 2023, and the redshirt junior tallied 22 tackles, one sack, and two tackles for loss.
Shay Taylor saw some time behind Houston and Thompson and will likely be a starting linebacker after recording 20 tackles, one sack, and one TFL last season.
Ohio Football Transfers On Defense
Ohio also brought in some transfers who should step in and make an impact, most notably from the FCS. Defensive lineman Ben McNaboe led North Dakota with 6.5 sacks in 2022 and was tabbed second-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Blake Leake transferred in from Bucknell and led the team in tackles with 53 before getting injured in the sixth game of the season. Defensive backs Dustin Johnson and Jacob Proche should fit in nicely and provide some depth in the secondary. Johnson led Northern Colorado with 85 tackles last season, and Proche brings in some experience as a graduate transfer.
Ohio only allowed two teams to score more than 21 points in 2023, but they didn’t get to match up against Toledo’s high-powered offense. This fall, the Bobcats will face what should be some better offenses than they met last year, including a Syracuse team that boasts a strong running back room to open the campaign. It will be an early test for the new look defensive line and linebackers.
The Bobcats will need another big season from their defense if they want to make it back to the MAC title game and try to capture their first conference championship since 1968.
