The Mid-American Conference and Ohio kicked off the start of their seasons Thursday with the 2025 MAC Football Kickoff from Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.
Ohio had a new face at head coach in Brian Smith, representing the Bobcats. It will be his first season as the head coach of Ohio after being appointed to the role before the Cure Bowl last season, a game where Ohio defeated Jacksonville State by a score of 30-27.
Joining Smith were a pair of student-athletes in graduate student quarterback Parker Navarro and redshirt sophomore safety DJ Walker. All three were available for media availability along with MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher.
Sun Belt Rumors Addressed
Conference realignment has infected every corner of college football, even the steady-standing MAC, a conference which has maintained its geographic standing in the Midwest, has taken its first hit with Northern Illinois set to join the Mountain West next year.
There have been recent reports about the Ohio athletic department and athletic director Julie Cromer reaching out to the Sun Belt about a possible move to the conference. The Sun Belt recently saw a member in Texas State get ready to leave the conference as they jump to the reshaped PAC-12, and it was reported Ohio would be interested in a move, but Ohio head coach Brian Smith shut down the rumors at MAC media day.
“I've talked with our athletic director about it, and the rumors were false,” Smith said. “I don’t have much else to say.”
Ohio and now Smith have denied the reports, but it will still certainly be something to watch for in the coming years as the landscape of college athletics keeps changing.
Ford Field a pillar for the MAC and Ohio
The 2025 MAC Football Kickoff being held in Ford Field, will certainly bring back positive memories for Bobcats fans, as it was only last December when Ohio defeated Miami in a 38-3 blowout to win the school’s first MAC title since 1968.
It certainly brought back memories for starting quarterback Parker Navarro, who took time to reminisce on the win while being back in Detroit.
“I was talking to DJ (Walker) about it when we came in, good memories being back here,“ Navarro said. "Sometimes I think you forget about all that stuff, and it's good to reflect here and there and use that as motivation to get back to where you once were.”
Ohio safety DJ Walker is already thinking about the next time he will be back at Ford Field as well.
“The game I’m looking forward to the most is the MAC championship,” Walker said. “December 6, I know the date, I’ve got it marked down in my phone.”
This will be the 22nd year the MAC Football Championship is held at Ford Field and it is clear that Ohio’s main focus is getting back to the Motor City for a chance at back-to-back MAC title victories.
Culture and mindset remain intact
Ohio relished in the success of its first MAC championship in nearly six decades and first 11-win season in school history this offseason, but Smith wants to make sure his players are motivated as they aim to return to Detroit at the end of this season in search of back-to-back MAC titles.
“They're never satisfied, you know,“ Navarro said. "I think there's so much room for improvement, and you're just kind of obsessed with finding it and finding that within our team, and so I think that reflects in winning games. I think at a deeper level, just continually striving for that improvement, I think that's what makes us great as a program.”
The Bobcats looked to build chemistry on and off the field within their position groups and as a whole team, as turnover has been a major factor this offseason.
“There are some guys that were a huge part of that championship team last year, and there are a lot of guys that had no part of it, so you're really trying to bring the new players along within your culture,” Smith said. “I think because there is so much turnover, it does make it an easier transition to just move on for the next season.”
“I think workouts have been going great. During OTAs, we've been trying to bond together as much as we can and get as much team as we can. I think it's all coming together,” Walker said.
Offensive Line Preview
The offensive line is one of many units affected by departures this offseason. The unit last season was very experienced, as three starters, Parker Titsworth, Christophe Atkinson and Carson Heidecker, graduated. Jacob Dennison was the only transfer as he left for Wake Forest.
Davion Weatherspoon is the only returning starter up front this year, leaving plenty of jobs open on the line this year.
“I think they've developed a great relationship with Coach Thompson,” Smith said on the new-look offensive line. “We've added a couple of new names within that group. That's one of the things that's exciting about fall camp now, is you're adding so many people between the freshmen and transfers from the summer, that there are some different aspects to the team when you start camp."
One big name returning to Athens is Shedrick Rhodes, a former Bobcat who played at Rutgers last year. Rhodes, along with returning running back Sieh Bangura will bring leadership and starting experience with them.
“It’s been great having both those guys back, especially (Shedrick),” Navarro said. “They've come back with just such humility and work ethic, trying to earn the respect of their teammates. I've just really admired their approach to coming back … I’m excited to see what those guys do in their respective groups.”
Defense: Linebackers and defensive backs
The Bobcats will look to their defense again in 2025, and it will start in the secondary. They return as an experienced position group and leaders of this defense, with guys such as Tank Pearson, Adonis Williams and Mike Mack coming back this season.
“We know that our secondary returned a lot, and we know that we’re going to be the most experienced on the defense, and we’re just excited,” Walker said. “We’ve been getting after it, and we are ready for this year.”
The linebacker core for the Bobcats took a hit when both Kadin Schmitz and Shay Taylor transferred to Charlotte this spring. The Bobcats were not fazed and brought in two players from the Division II level, Makel Williams from Fort Hays State and Cameron Hollobaugh from Walsh. They have jumped right in and begun to mesh with the returning Bobcat linebackers.
“Oh, they look great in workouts, look strong and can move well,” Walker said. “We also have Mike Molnar and Jack Fries who played last year. So, having all of them in the room, and then a young guy also that I think might see his way in there is Charlie Christopher. He impressed a lot in the spring, and they all have looked good in summer workouts.”
