On Jan. 4, Ohio University’s star running back Sieh Bangura declared for the NFL draft after a breakout year of 1,392 rushing yards, 15 touchdowns and 5.8 yards per carry. He led the Mid-American Conference in all three statistics.
Just 11 days later, Jan. 15, after being granted another year of eligibility, Parker Navarro entered the transfer portal. This move ended a two-year era that was one of the best in Ohio University football history, including the Bobcats winning their first MAC championship since 1968.
These two massive losses for Ohio football led to many questions and speculation about the future of the Bobcats’ backfield.
Fast-forward seven months after Navarro left, the quarterback question still isn’t answered, but the answer is a lot closer. The Bobcats have narrowed down the starting quarterback role to two players: graduate student Nick Poulos and freshman Levi Davis.
Poulos started his collegiate football career in 2022 at Chaffey College, where he put up strong numbers. His performance was good enough for him to enter the transfer portal, where he would continue his career at El Camino College. At El Camino College, he made just two starts while putting up strong numbers in both games.
After that, Poulos transferred to Ohio University in 2024, where he became Navarro’s backup while having limited playing opportunities.
On the other hand, Davis’ career has been a little shorter than Poulos’. Davis had a strong high school career at Olentangy High School in Columbus, Ohio, where he played varsity football beginning his freshman year in 2022.
In the winter of his junior year, Davis committed to Ohio University.
So, this quarterback competition is a classic veteran-versus-newcomer battle. There is still no official confirmation of who will be the starter this upcoming season. However, according to head coach John Hauser, Poulos is in the lead.
“We don’t have a Week One starter yet,” Hauser said at MAC Media Day. “I love the competitiveness we have at the quarterback position. I think we got some guys that can play the position. So, Nick (Poulos) is ahead, and he’s done a really good job. I’ve seen him up in the office a lot this summer, which I love.”
The running back room has had fewer questions and less speculation despite the loss of Bangura. The Bobcats have one returning running back, junior Duncan Brune. Brune put up strong numbers last season for a backup running back, with 585 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
While Brune will take on the starting role this season, the Bobcats brought in a strong transfer to team up with him. This graduate student transfer from UConn, Victor Rosa, had 155 rushing yards and two touchdowns last season.
In addition to those two, Ohio also has two redshirt freshmen, Irving Brown and Mike Taylor Jr., in hopes of having them learn behind Brune and Rosa.
The Bobcats’ offensive backfield has faced many changes this offseason and lost some very good players. Despite that, Hauser and the entire coaching staff have worked diligently to strengthen the backfield and get it ready for the start of the 2026 season.
Only time will tell if the team did enough to prepare the backfield for the upcoming season as it tries to return to Detroit for the MAC championship game.
