Production can come from anywhere in this era of college football. In the age of name, image and likeness and the transfer portal, rosters have never had less continuity.
For Ohio in 2026, continuity comes in an unlikely form: two former walk-ons from Cincinnati – roommates who have endured injuries together and switched positions – now set to anchor the defense at linebacker.
Both Cincinnati natives, Michael Molnar and Jack Fries are two redshirt seniors who arrived at Ohio University in 2022 and spent every year of their careers with the Bobcats, an increasing rarity, especially for a school in the Mid-American Conference.
Molnar arrived as a tight end from Mason High School and Fries arrived as a safety from LaSalle High School. Despite being from the same metro area, the two didn’t have a real relationship before coming to Athens.
“When we played each other, I guess (Molnar) stiff-armed me in our freshman football game, but I didn't really know much about him, even when we got here,” Fries said. “Once we both moved to linebacker, we connected really well. We’ve just been real good buds ever since.”
With their moves to linebacker, the two Cincinnati natives didn’t see much playing time throughout their first three years at Ohio, as duos like Keye Thompson and Bryce Houston, and Shay Taylor and Blake Leake were starting over the last few years.
“I had guys like Keye Thompson and Bryce Houston, who were great in leading me and pulling me in the direction that I needed to. It helped me propel into the player that I am today,” Fries said.
In 2025, both Fries and Molnar were inserted into the starting lineup for the first time in their careers to open the season. The offseason was filled with uncertainty, as veterans Taylor and Kadin Schmitz transferred out and a new linebacker coach, Chris Woods, was hired.
The season opener against Rutgers was certainly a fast start after the wild offseason, as the Scarlet Knights scored 31 first-half points, but the defense adjusted and allowed just three points in the second half as Ohio nearly pulled off an upset before losing 31-34.
That game to start the year in New Brunswick, New Jersey, was a bit of an omen for the entire year with the Ohio defense, as Molnar, Fries and the entire unit improved.
“It doesn't matter who you are, your first time out on the field, everything's gonna be moving quick,” Molnar said. “Doesn't matter how many practice reps you get, game reps are different … having coaches that believe in us and believe in the fact that we're gonna get better every week, and learn from our mistakes, everything starts to slow down, you get more comfortable, start trusting guys around you more and they start trusting me more.”
Indeed, the game slowed down the very next week for Molnar as he was named MAC Defensive Player of the Week for a seven-tackle and one-and-a-half sack performance against West Virginia in week two.
Molnar finished his year with 62 total tackles and five tackles for loss in just eight games played, while Fries went for 54 total tackles with three tackles for loss to go with an interception and six passes defended in eight games played.
Both Fries and Molnar dealt with injuries last season, which is why they both played eight games. During that time in the season, their bond grew as they helped each other return to the field and rehab their injuries.
“Crazy enough, the injury I sustained this year, Mike had the same injury week two of last year, so he was the man to go,” Fries said. “Mike was really just there to help give me confidence, because some days I felt like, ‘Man, I'm a long way away from getting back now,’ but he was like, ‘No, man, that's normal, you're on the right track. Just keep working your butt off.’”
Molnar also appreciated having Fries to help him out with his recovery as well.
“We're roommates, best buds, around each other all the time. So if anyone is going to be going through the same thing I would be going through, I would not want it to be him, but it was great that we could kind of work off of each other,” Molnar said.
Even with an up-and-down season with injuries, the duo never had any thoughts about transferring away from a John Hauser-led Ohio team, especially with their history here in Athens.
“I wasn't thinking about any type of transferring,” Fries said. “When Hauser got named head coach, man, that was the best-case scenario for me. He was the guy who gave me a walk-on chance at safety here. So, I mean, I owe everything to Hauser.”
Molnar had a similar experience as a walk-on, with Ohio being his offer out of high school.
“A lot of people think that there's less loyalty now, with the NIL and portal and everything, but I mean, it's definitely still around, especially here,” Molnar said. “I got a walk-on offer here to play tight end. I didn't have an offer anywhere else. If I didn't come here, I wouldn't be playing college football. I have the utmost loyalty to this program, the logo and the school.”
That loyalty has led the two to their final season of college football in the green and white, the same colors that they began with over four years ago.
