A respectable 2025 campaign finished with the Bobcats topping the UNLV Rebels 17-10 in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl. The team finished third in the Mid-American Conference standings with a 9-4 record and was a tiebreaker short of back-to-back MAC championship appearances. Looking forward, new trails will be blazed in 2026.
Coming off that success, the Bobcats have lost a load of high-level production that will be difficult to replace this coming season. Atop the list of detrimental losses are three long-tenured Bobcat stars. Starting quarterback Parker Navarro and starting running back Sieh Bangura have both run out of college eligibility, and the team’s former star wide receiver, Chase Hendricks, capitalized on his tremendous junior year by transferring to the University of California.
The stats speak for themselves with these three, and their absences will be felt. Navarro led the offense last season, throwing for 2,375 yards, rushing for 886 and totaling 23 touchdowns. Hendricks hauled in 71 receptions for 1,037 yards and seven touchdowns. Both were named to the 2025 All-MAC second team. Bangura was awarded All-MAC first team honors with monstrous numbers of 1,392 rushing yards on 5.8 yards per carry and 15 touchdowns.
Beyond on-field play, these losses leave the Bobcats searching for new locker room leaders. Navarro and Bangura were cornerstones of the program for four seasons, and Hendricks was a Bobcat for three. Losing that type of continuity will be tough for new head coach John Hauser to navigate in his first full season at the helm.
In addition to those three, the Bobcats lost numerous other contributors, including a trio of 2025 All-MAC offensive linemen, the offense’s unsung heroes. Davion Weatherspoon transferred to the University of Arkansas, Jordon Jones took his talents to Troy University and Nick Marinaro has exhausted his college eligibility.
Tight end Mason Williams, named to last season’s All-MAC third team, chose to transfer to The Ohio State University, while second team defensive lineman Jay Crable will be headed to Florida Atlantic University. Three-year starting defensive back Tank Pearson, who was named All-MAC third team defense in 2025, has also exhausted his eligibility.
It is needless to say that this Bobcats team has been stripped of a multitude of its winning DNA from 2025. However, there are some key returners next season, including running back Duncan Brune and safety DJ Walker. Brune played second fiddle to Bangura in the backfield but still took 120 carries for 585 yards and eight touchdowns.
Brune will presumably spearhead the offense alongside graduate student Victor Rosa, who transferred into the program after four years at the University of Connecticut. OU is also looking for another receiver to flourish in this offense, as redshirt freshman Preston Bowman was brought in from the University of Kentucky this offseason.
Walker looks to remain a defensive leader coming off a season in which he recorded 37 solo tackles and two interceptions. The linebacking core will also look familiar in 2026, as redshirt seniors Michael Molnar and Jack Fries and sophomore Charlie Christopher return to man the middle of the field for the Bobcats.
Coach Hauser has looked to retool this offseason by securing high-upside transfer portal and high school commitments. Many of these commitments are three-star recruits and unproven transfers, some from high-major programs who lacked opportunity at their previous schools. There is plenty of opportunity on this roster, though, and coach Hauser will have plenty of time in fall camp to evaluate his new additions.
Incoming freshman quarterback Levi Davis from Olentangy Orange High School in Columbus boasts a very interesting skill set as a newcomer. A three-star dual-threat quarterback, Davis comes to OU as a homegrown talent hungry to put his athleticism and strong arm on display. Currently, it seems Nick Poulos will most likely be the Bobcats’ day one starting quarterback, but Davis is certainly talented enough to compete.
The 2025 season marked the end of an era for Ohio football, but 2026 will be the beginning of a retool as head coach John Hauser aims to forge his own legacy. The Bobcats will face only one high-major opponent, UNLV, as opposed to the three they faced in 2025. Whether that was a calculated scheduling move or not, the Bobcats look to have a manageable schedule to aid in finding a new identity.
