The 2024 Mid-American Conference Champions were built on a strong running game and a wealth of experience up front. The core of the line was built to play physical football and win the battle at the line of scrimmage.
Brian Smith’s first year at the helm will see a group of fresh faces for the Bobcats as they hope to get back in MAC title contention again. Players like third-year man Jordon Jones and returning senior Shedrick Rhodes look to dominate the trenches as they step into bigger roles in 2025.
Who’s gone
Ohio is returning just one starter to the offensive line in 2025, but they did add in Rhodes who has had experience here as a Bobcat and he will be returning to the program.
The Bobcats will go into 2025 without six year veteran Parker Titsworth, four year veteran Christophe Atkinson, and tackle Carson Heidecker, who all saw their careers in Athens end in 2024. All three men played in 12 or more games last season and helped set the precedent for smash-mouth football that will look to carry over into 2025.
They also lost tackle Jacob Dennison by way of the transfer portal after he left to join Wake Forest. All in all, Ohio will be replacing four starters up front this season.
Ohio aimed to do this by bringing in some fresh legs from the transfer portal but also recruiting some younger guys giving them a look into this winning culture.
Who’s back
Ohio is returning one starter from last year’s MAC title team, senior guard Davion Weatherspoon, who started all 14 games for Ohio last season. He will add some much needed experience and leadership as well as versatility as he started games at both guard and tackle last year.
The Bobcats are also hoping for a big step up from Jones. He got a taste of the starting role in a couple of contests last season but will see significantly more opportunities this year, along with Trent Allen, a senior guard who got a good chunk of playing time last season.
Ohio also looks for strong play from 2024 transfer portal acquisition Tigana Cisse as he missed last season but will look to step right into a backup role to start 2025. Furthermore, redshirt sophomore Aidan Johnson was limited in his first season with Ohio but will have a bigger role at the guard position this year.
Who’s new
The Bobcats have brought in six total players, including four from the transfer pool. They filled two holes in the starting group, first at center with a graduate student from Dartmouth, Nick Marinaro. Marinaro, an All-Ivy Honorable Mention a season ago, has started 19 games over the past two years.
The other big addition for Ohio is Rhodes, a familiar face returning from Rutgers to play tackle, who began his career in Athens. After limited playing time last season, he returns to Athens for his swan song season and a starting role in Ohio’s offense.
Player to watch
The biggest impact on Ohio’s offensive line comes from Rhodes. He has experience with the team but will also bring back experience from his tenure at Rutgers as well. Before moving to New Jersey last season, he started 13 games for Ohio in 2023. Rhodes will look to hold down the blind side for graduate student and star quarterback Parker Navarro.
