The backfield is routinely the engine of the offense of almost every football team. Chemistry between the quarterback and running back is important, and having talent in the backfield can propel a team to many wins.
Last season Ohio didn’t just have one of the best backfields in the Mid-American Conference, but one of the best backfields in the entire group of five with the duo of Anthony Tyus II and Parker Navarro.
This year there are plenty of new faces at running back and quarterback, so lets take a look at both positions for Ohio this season.
Who’s gone
The biggest name that will be leaving the running back room is, by far, Anthony Tyus II. The Northwestern transfer won the job after a stellar week one performance last year against Syracuse, where he went for over 200 yards and two touchdowns.
From there on, he was one of the MAC’s best rushers, going for 1215 yards with nine touchdowns on the year last year. He played himself into a preseason role with the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL, but he was cut from the team on Tuesday.
Backup Rickey Hunt left as well as he joined Tulsa before transferring to Middle Tennessee State this offseason after he went for 393 yards and two touchdowns last year.
As for quarterbacks, Callum Wither is the only guy from last year’s group to leave this offseason as he transferred to Wilfred Laurier, a Canadian school in Ontario.
Who’s back
Third-string running back Duncan Brune is the only returning back that saw game time last year. He had 84 yards on the ground and one touchdown last year against Central Michigan as a freshman.
Almost the entire quarterback room returns, including second-team All-MAC selection Parker Navarro. The Arizona native had a breakout season last year, using his arm and legs to generate offense. He threw for 2423 yards with 13 touchdowns on the year but he did throw 11 interceptions.
He also dominated on the ground, going for 1054 yards and a whopping 18 touchdowns as a rushing threat. His backups in Nick Poulos and Jacob Winters, return as well, although Poulos was the only other quarterback to get snaps last year, as he threw for 271 yards and two touchdowns.
Who’s new
There are a few new faces in both the running back and quarterback rooms this year, including a familiar face in running back Sieh Bangura. The former Bobcat and Minnesota transfer is back in the green and white this year after playing last year as a Golden Gopher.
He projects to have a big year back in Athens after he went for over 1000 yards in 2022 and then went over 800 yards in 2023. He didn’t see the field much at Minnesota but he should be fresh and ready to have a great year in the MAC again.
Another transfer running back coming in is Doe Boyland, a Medina native who transfers in from Drake. Boyland was rock solid for the Bulldogs in 2022 and 2023 where he ran for 683 yards and 697 yards, respectively. He only had 80 yards last year but in a new role he will look to bounce back.
Ohio did add a quarterback through the portal this offseason in Dayton native and Tulsa transfer Tim Carpenter. The freshman signal caller did get into four games last year for the Golden Hurricane and he threw for 46 yards and two touchdowns in the limited action he saw.
