What do the Rockets look like in a post-Dequan Finn, post-Peny Boone era?
There’s always one thing you can count on in a college football season: Toledo will be Toledo.
Toledo has been somewhat of a standard bearer in the MAC throughout the last decade and counting. The Rockets boast the conference’s longest streak with 14 consecutive seasons finishing .500 or better. They’ve crossed the double-digit win threshold three times since 2015, compiling an 11-3 record as the MAC runner-up in 2023. Although the Rockets fell short of a conference championship in Detroit, they’ve prevailed there before, bringing home recent titles in 2017 and 2022 under head coach Jason Candle.
Candle has never suffered a losing season in his eight seasons at the helm, and his tenure seems to be gaining even more steam after a spectacular start in the mid-to-late 2010s. He tied his career-high with 11 wins last season and brought Toledo an AP Poll ranking for the first time since 2015 when Matt Campbell was head coach. Candle also has the rare luxury of assistant continuity on his staff as co-offensive coordinators Mike Hallett and Robert Weiner enter their ninth and fifth years with the program, respectively.
Yet, 2024 might be Candle’s greatest challenge yet, and that mainly has to do with the offense. Toledo loses seven starters, ranging from reigning MAC MVP Dequan Finn to MAC Offensive Player of the Year Peny Boone to an entire star-studded offensive line.
How do the Rockets recoup and retain contention status?
Quarterback
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As mentioned above, Dequan Finn no longer graces the campus of Toledo. Finn was certainly an accomplished Rocket, claiming the Vern Smith Leadership Award (MAC MVP) in 2023 with All-MAC selections in 2022 and 2023. In three years as a starter, he filled the dual-threat quarterback role spectacularly, throwing for roughly 7,000 yards with 63 touchdowns, 23 interceptions, as well as collecting approximately 1,800 yards and 25 touchdowns as a rusher.
But Finn transferred to Baylor, making way for Tucker Gleason to rise to No. 1 on the depth chart. Gleason is a seasoned veteran at Toledo, preparing to enter his fourth year in Candle’s system. He logged a pair of starts in November 2022, throwing for three touchdowns and zero interceptions in a win over Eastern Michigan, before making his mark as a runner the next week with 106 yards and two rushing yards in a rivalry loss to Bowling Green.
Gleason’s most notable action transpired in Toledo’s most recent game to date as he earned the starting nod in the Arizona Bowl following Finn’s portal entry. It wasn’t the smoothest showing against a tough Wyoming defense, completing 14-of-34 passes for 184 yards and an interception, but Gleason picked up any yardage he could manage on the ground, finishing with 42 yards on seven rushing attempts.
Overall, he enters 2024 with 1,336 passing yards and 244 rushing yards. While his career completion percentage of 48.9 is one identifiable area to improve, Gleason avoids making costly mistakes as demonstrated by his 12-to-4 touchdown to interception ratio. Opening with two home games where Toledo should act as the heavy favorite could help him ease into a full-time starting role, which he hopes to have a stranglehold on throughout the 2024 campaign.
Based on 2023 playing time, the second-string job is most likely suited for John Alan Richter. Richter was the only quarterback besides Finn or Gleason to see the field last fall, completing 3-of-4 passes for 49 yards in a 71-3 decimation of FCS Texas Southern. RJ Johnson III and Jake DeHaan are the two redshirt freshmen in the room that sat out the entirety of 2023, while true freshmen Kalieb Osborne and Trey Whirley round out the group, arriving on campus from Pontiac, MI and St. Petersburg, FL, respectively.
How vital is Toledo’s passing game to the offense? In 2023, it actually played a backseat to the ground attack as the Rockets only averaged 26.9 passing attempts per game to rank 107th in the country. But when they passed, they made it count, finishing 69th in the FBS in yards per game thanks to efficiency and a tendency to take downfield shots. We’ll see if that continues as Finn hands the keys to the offense to Gleason.
Running back
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Toledo owns a proud running back tradition under Coach Candle, as four different players have surpassed the 1,300-yard single-season threshold during his tenure — 2016 Kareem Hunt, 2017 Terry Swanson, 2021 Bryant Koback, and 2023 Peny Boone.
The 2023 Rockets sustained the tradition, ranking 16th in the FBS and first in the MAC in rushing yards per game at 199 with Boone and Finn anchoring the unit.
Boone was one of the MAC’s brightest stars a season ago, compiling 1,400 rushing yards to rank eighth in the entire FBS and totaling 15 rushing touchdowns to tie for 11th. But the MAC Offensive Player of the Year, who originally transferred in from Maryland, waved goodbye to Toledo this offseason en route to a new journey at UCF.
Those 1,400 yards are plenty of production to replace, but Toledo is used to filling these voids just like it did with Hunt, Swanson, and Koback.
Jacquez Stuart is next in line to become a No. 1 running back, and it’s a role he already held for the 2022 MAC champion Rockets — ranking first on the team with 770 rushing yards. Stuart’s utilization slightly dipped due to Boone’s sensational play in 2023, but he still managed 574 yards as a second-fiddle and averaged over 5.0 yards per carry for his third consecutive season. Stuart has three 100-yard performances under his belt and nearly added a fourth in the Arizona Bowl, finishing with 99 yards on nine attempts.
The sixth-year senior looks to follow in Boone’s footsteps as a First Team All-MAC running back, but Stuart in fact already holds First Team All-MAC designation, earning the honors for his endeavors in the return game. He ranked 12th in the FBS and first in the MAC in kick return yardage last fall, taking one kickoff to the house in a Halloween victory over Buffalo.
Who’s behind Stuart on the depth chart? Willie Shaw III continues to amplify his playing time with each succeeding year, setting single-season highs in games (6), attempts (31), and rushing yards (134) in 2023. Shaw played a significant role in Toledo’s Sept. 16 win over San Jose State, and while his playing time declined after September, he re-emerged as the No. 2 back behind Stuart in the Arizona Bowl with Boone in the portal.
Connor Walendzak is another name to watch who could make ample noise in the backfield. As a true freshman, he checked in at fifth on the team in rushing attempts with 17, cashing in a pair of touchdowns vs. Western Michigan and Northern Illinois in MAC play. He’s a physical back as demonstrated by his impact on special teams, where he made 11 tackles — including nine from Halloween onward.
Mike Drennen II, who transferred in from Kentucky, is the fourth and final active tailback on Toledo’s roster to participate in the run game last year, producing 28 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. Like many reserves, his action was limited to the 68-point blowout vs. Texas Southern.
Toledo also consulted SEC country for transfers, and the backfield added depth in the form of Sevaughn Clark and Lucas Laroche. Clark could compete for one of the higher spots on the depth chart considering his four years of experience at Georgia. The two-time national champion posted 145 yards and a touchdown as a member of the Bulldogs, with his personal-best rushing total of 35 transpiring in a national championship triumph over TCU. Laroche doesn’t present any FBS experience despite spending the last two seasons at Ole Miss, but the Paris, France native hopes his new destination provides greater opportunity.
Kris Pechac returns to the roster after walking on to the roster last year, completing his second successful walk-on attempt after doing the same at Indiana in 2018. Finally, true freshman Dane Nauman rounds out the unit, and he presents an interesting build at 5’11”, 245 pounds — which could allow him to see instant action at the fullback position.
Wide receiver
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There is one position group offensively where Toledo barely misses a beat. The Rockets remain loaded at wide receiver, headlined by a First Team All-MAC selection in Jerjuan Newton. Newton did not entertain the portal this offseason after his second consecutive all-conference selection, and he’ll stick with Toledo for the sixth consecutive season.
Newton attained 830 yards and nine touchdowns on 53 receptions in a breakout 2022 campaign, leading the team to a MAC championship. Last season, he followed it up with 696 yards and nine touchdowns on 52 receptions — still remaining the team leader in all three categories. Newton stands as one of the conference’s top offensive stalwarts, and he’s joined in the receiving corps by another veteran in Junior Vandeross III, who looks to take that leap into all-conference territory this year.
Vandeross wasn’t far behind Newton from a statistical standpoint in 2023 with 47 receptions, 664 receiving yards, and four touchdowns. The 5’8” Tampa native entered his sophomore campaign with just one career reception but exploded onto the scene as a viable threat in the aerial attack.
Both Newton and Vandeross displayed remarkable consistency last season. Each receiver caught a pass in all 14 games, and Newton recorded multiple receptions in 12 contests while Vandeross did in 13. But Toledo utilized a very balanced passing attack last year, and neither ever left a game with more than six catches on the stat sheet. It will be interesting to see if this trend of balance persists in 2023 with Gleason taking over full-time quarterback duties, but Newton and Vandeross certainly have the talent to bolster the passing game back into the upper 50th percentile of college football.
What makes life even better for Toledo is the team returns its third receiver in Larry Stephens. Stephens was a steady contributor last fall with 22 receptions and 272 yards to rank fourth in both categories and third among receivers on the team. Stephens recorded 10 starts in 2023 and he’s penciled in as the third guy in what may be the MAC’s most loaded receiving corps.
Jaden Dottin is next in line when it comes to production from the 2023 season, and he provides a nice foil to the aforementioned receivers (all below 6’0”) as a 6’2”, 200 pound junior. The former Penn State commit instantly saw an uptick in playing time in the MAC with 12 receptions for 138 yards in his first season with the Rockets, and he’ll maintain a similar presence on the field in 2024.
Four other current Toledo receivers caught between one and six passes in 2023 — Cooper Rusk (6), Thomas Zsiros (2), Eric Holley III (1), and Jediyah Willoughby (1). Additionally, Julian Allen logged playing time without recording a catch, while Javion Bostic and Bryson Hammer sat out the entirety of last season.
With the returning talent in house, Toledo didn’t rely heavily on the portal at receiver, only bringing in Terrell Crosby Jr. from Iowa State as a converted defensive back and Marcellus Crutchfield from Division II Fort Hays State. The receiving corps does feature a quartet of true freshmen newcomers, however, as Zy’marion Lang, Tashi Braceful, Daryl Barnett Jr., and Javon Brown join the unit. Among these freshmen, Lang and Braceful are the names to watch as Toledo’s two highest-rated recruits from the 2024 cycle, potentially entering the mix in an already-potent rotation.
Tight end
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Tight end is another strength of Toledo’s offense in 2024 with Anthony Torres back to anchor the position. Torres earned Second Team All-MAC honors last November after finishing third on the roster in every major receiving category — receptions (26), yards (464), and touchdowns (3). Torres proved to be an impressive downfield threat last year with a notable 17.8 average yards per catch. The seventh-year senior, who first debuted for Western Michigan in 2017, enjoyed by far his most productive campaign in 2023 and he looks to take it a step further as one of the veteran’s on this overhauled offense.
Torres provides impressive size at 6’6”, 250 pounds, but he’s not even the tallest tight end on the roster. That’s where the 6’7”, 242-pound CC Ezirim has him beat and Ezirim could compete for the No. 2 tight end spot this year after managing four receptions for 82 yards in 2023. Justin Stephens is another candidate for this role. Stephens originally arrived as a tight end, moved to the offensive line in 2022, and rotated back to tight end last fall and corralled his first-career reception.
When it comes to experience, Hillsdale College transfer Sam Lee has an upper hand on everybody else on the roster outside of Torres. Lee was a standout at the Division II level with 39 receptions for 624 yards and three touchdowns in 2023, showing readiness to make the jump from D2 to FBS.
Connor Jones and Donivon Thomas are tight ends with seldom in-game experience who could see action on special teams. Former Louisville transfer Blake Nelson still awaits his first collegiate snap, as does true freshman Tysen Smith who arrives from Bloomington South in Indiana.
Overall, given Torres’ presence, expect frequent tight end usage from the Rockets’ offense in the passing game after two consecutive years of 370+ yard earners at the position.
Offensive line
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Zero is the number of starters Toledo returns on the offensive line from 2023. That’s a tough pill to swallow for the team, as the Rockets’ offensive line played a significant role in those 11 victories. As mentioned earlier, the o-line paved a pathway for Peny Boone and a star-studded run game to finish 16th in yards per game, and the front five held down the fort in the passing game as Toledo tied for fourth in the entire FBS in fewest sacks allowed at 0.8 per game.
Now Toledo must complete the challenge of assembling a new group of five men capable of keeping the offense afloat. The Rockets put their hand in the portal and landed some talent in the process, but they’re not replacing experience with experience. Of the transfers added, the most likely day one starter is guard Jakob James, who travels in-state from Ohio State where he logged 31 games of action with the majority of his playing time transpiring on special teams. James only collected 87 offensive snaps as a Buckeye, but he might pass that total by Week 2 as a Rocket.
Toledo also gained Ibrahim Traore from Penn State from the portal, but Traore only logged one game of action for the Nittany Lions and he’ll compete for expanded playing time throughout fall camp. Another new transfer on the line is Hutchinson Community College alum is Maddox Marcotte who proved to be a star at the JUCO level, gathering first team all-conference honors for a 10-1 team that finished second in the country in scoring average. Finally, Toledo bolstered depth via 6’6” tackle Allen Jones Jr. who started 22 games at FCS Prairie View A&M from 2020-23, providing a wealth of in-game experience to an otherwise inexperienced front.
These transfers look poised to compete for starting positions, but which incumbent Toledo linemen should crack the starting five? Garrett Schwiebert could occupy a starting tackle position as one of the Rockets’ most utilized reserve linemen in 2023, seeing action in all 14 games in addition to 10 contests in 2022.
Carter Fouty operated as a second-string left guard in 2023 with 10 appearances and could claim one of the interior line positions in his fourth season on campus. Another interior lineman that racked up valuable experience was Eastlake, OH native Ethan Spoth who suited up in six games last year. Finally, 6’3” guard Drew Beckenhaupt and 6’6” tackle Stephen Gales accumulated reps in one contest — the lopsided Texas Southern game where many reserves saw at least a series.
Former Florida State tackle Rod Orr is among the Toledo linemen that didn’t see live action last year after being a late transfer addition, but Orr could see increased production in 2024 with more familiarity with the system. Grant Zimmerly, Brian Keane, Alek Winner, Cole Rhett, and Chase Riedel are the other returning players that didn’t record any snaps in 2023. The true freshmen completing the unit are Jacob Kropchak, Jake Grimm, Colbyn Daniel, Pete Jarvis, and Matt Hofer.
If there’s one position group to give the x-factor label to in 2024, it’s the offensive line. Given the lack of starting experience spread throughout the unit, there’s plenty of uncertainty. But if the group gels together well, Toledo can instantly catapult back to MAC contention status — a familiar place for the program during the Candle era.