menu
Logo
Bobcat Attack Menu
Logo
Ohio Football Topic
Topic: Starter Guesses
Page: 2 of 2
Deciduous Forest Cat
General User
DFC
Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: OH
Post Count: 4,563
DFC
mail
Deciduous Forest Cat
mail
Posted: 5/1/2026 7:25 AM
settings_applications edit_note
100%Cat wrote:expand_more
Small sample size, I know, but I'm not super excited about Poulos based off what we have seen from him the last few seasons. I get that he has the program experience, but I was hoping one of the newcomers would be a better option at QB.
I wondered the same about Parker Navarro. A year later we had our foot on Miami's neck in Detroit.
SBH
General User
SBH
Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 4,686
SBH
mail
SBH
mail
Posted: 5/1/2026 7:46 AM
settings_applications edit_note
Deciduous Forest Cat wrote:expand_more
Small sample size, I know, but I'm not super excited about Poulos based off what we have seen from him the last few seasons. I get that he has the program experience, but I was hoping one of the newcomers would be a better option at QB.
I wondered the same about Parker Navarro. A year later we had our foot on Miami's neck in Detroit.
We all had the same doubts about Parker.
shabamon
General User
Member Since: 11/17/2006
Location: Cincinnati
Post Count: 7,337
mail
shabamon
mail
Posted: 5/1/2026 9:43 AM
settings_applications edit_note
The difference is he was the incumbent to play in the bowl game after Rourke and Harris were unavailable, and he did well enough (mostly running) that you had some faith going into the next season.

I agree on Poulos being the number 1. I absolutely hate that he missed a wide open tight end that could have walked into the end zone at the end of the Ohio State game. Hate that we could have been more than halfway to 20 on the #1 team.
M.D.W.S.T
General User
Member Since: 12/24/2021
Post Count: 3,700
mail
M.D.W.S.T
mail
Posted: 5/4/2026 9:59 AM
settings_applications edit_note
cbarber357 wrote:expand_more
Small sample size, I know, but I'm not super excited about Poulos based off what we have seen from him the last few seasons. I get that he has the program experience, but I was hoping one of the newcomers would be a better option at QB.
I’m no football coach, but I would suspect even if Vezza or Davis are doing a bit better in practice, saying publicly and acting like the guy who has been in the program for years is in the lead would be great motivation to get Vezza and/or Davis to grind away at learning the system/playbook.

Or it could be 100% true Poulos is just looking better. Wouldn’t expect to know for sure until after the Nebraska game. Maybe Davis is actually in the lead but they don’t want his first start to be on the road against a Big 10 team.
Your last point is likely the biggest. Poulos has played two big time road games. Not well, but he's got that experience. He knows how to prepare. He knows what to expect. He's been in the program for years. Presumably, the playbook is the same, certainly the same jargon - he likely knows it inside and out. He's enormous and will be able to diagnose what the defense is doing a little faster and a little easier, which in games like this even 1 second faster is the difference between a completed pass and a sack.

I 100% believe we will see Veeza at some point, probably even at Nebraska in some packages, probably starting early into MAC play, maybe even Davis, but right now - Poulos is the guy until he proves otherwise.
BillyTheCat
General User
BTC
Member Since: 10/6/2012
Post Count: 10,823
BTC
mail
BillyTheCat
mail
Posted: 5/5/2026 10:16 PM
settings_applications edit_note
M.D.W.S.T wrote:expand_more
Small sample size, I know, but I'm not super excited about Poulos based off what we have seen from him the last few seasons. I get that he has the program experience, but I was hoping one of the newcomers would be a better option at QB.
I’m no football coach, but I would suspect even if Vezza or Davis are doing a bit better in practice, saying publicly and acting like the guy who has been in the program for years is in the lead would be great motivation to get Vezza and/or Davis to grind away at learning the system/playbook.

Or it could be 100% true Poulos is just looking better. Wouldn’t expect to know for sure until after the Nebraska game. Maybe Davis is actually in the lead but they don’t want his first start to be on the road against a Big 10 team.
Your last point is likely the biggest. Poulos has played two big time road games. Not well, but he's got that experience. He knows how to prepare. He knows what to expect. He's been in the program for years. Presumably, the playbook is the same, certainly the same jargon - he likely knows it inside and out. He's enormous and will be able to diagnose what the defense is doing a little faster and a little easier, which in games like this even 1 second faster is the difference between a completed pass and a sack.

I 100% believe we will see Veeza at some point, probably even at Nebraska in some packages, probably starting early into MAC play, maybe even Davis, but right now - Poulos is the guy until he proves otherwise.
Or we go with a heads QB who makes it happen with their legs and is adaquate throwing the ball, like we did the past few years. Hype Grand may be that Cat.
M.D.W.S.T
General User
Member Since: 12/24/2021
Post Count: 3,700
mail
M.D.W.S.T
mail
Posted: 5/6/2026 11:44 AM
settings_applications edit_note
BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more
Small sample size, I know, but I'm not super excited about Poulos based off what we have seen from him the last few seasons. I get that he has the program experience, but I was hoping one of the newcomers would be a better option at QB.
I’m no football coach, but I would suspect even if Vezza or Davis are doing a bit better in practice, saying publicly and acting like the guy who has been in the program for years is in the lead would be great motivation to get Vezza and/or Davis to grind away at learning the system/playbook.

Or it could be 100% true Poulos is just looking better. Wouldn’t expect to know for sure until after the Nebraska game. Maybe Davis is actually in the lead but they don’t want his first start to be on the road against a Big 10 team.
Your last point is likely the biggest. Poulos has played two big time road games. Not well, but he's got that experience. He knows how to prepare. He knows what to expect. He's been in the program for years. Presumably, the playbook is the same, certainly the same jargon - he likely knows it inside and out. He's enormous and will be able to diagnose what the defense is doing a little faster and a little easier, which in games like this even 1 second faster is the difference between a completed pass and a sack.

I 100% believe we will see Veeza at some point, probably even at Nebraska in some packages, probably starting early into MAC play, maybe even Davis, but right now - Poulos is the guy until he proves otherwise.
Or we go with a heads QB who makes it happen with their legs and is adaquate throwing the ball, like we did the past few years. Hype Grand may be that Cat.
The videos I saw of him (in shorts, no rush)(didn't see the spring game, if anyone wants to weigh in), I liked. Hauser not mentioning him by name makes me think he's in a distant 4th, however.

Hauser said Poulos is QB1. Veeza and Levi "are on his heels". Would love if that lit a fire under Hype (and/or Veeza and Levi).
Morris Mound
General User
Member Since: 10/28/2016
Location: Cleveland, OH
Post Count: 75
mail
Morris Mound
mail
Posted: 5/12/2026 3:16 PM
settings_applications edit_note
This is my guess at the moment. I truly don't know who starts or plays where on the offensive line.

QB - Nick Poulos, Matt Vezza, Levi Davis, Hype Grand, Jacob Winters
RB - Duncan Brune, Victor Rosa, Mike Taylor Jr., Aginon Wilson Jr., Irving Brown
WR - Preston Bowman, Kaden Hurst, Riley Neer
WR - Max Rodarte, Eian Pugh, Ian Ver Steeg, Miles Cremascoli, Khamani Debrow
WR - Dom Dorwart, Blake Guffey, Delaney Crawford, Rashad Perry
TE - Andrew Metzger, Jake Furtney, AJ Miller, Aiden Lowery, Tim Boals
LT - Jarian Shelby, Ben Maldonado, CJ Dawson
LG - Kam Wright, Seth Anstead
C - Bryce Parson, Angelo DeLucia
RG - Josh Waite, Cassius Hulbert, Trumain Lawson
RT - Tigana Cisse, Sandro Malicevic

DE - Cody Raymond, Evan Herrmann, Owen DiFranco
DT - Austin Mitchell, Derek Reagans, RJ Keuchler, Nate Riegle
DT - Nehemiah Dukes, Ty Neubert, Brandon Weaver
DE - Tyler Gilllson, Joseph Marsh, Isaiah Street, Ike Ackerman
WILL - Jack Fries, Jasen Kelly, Lukas Stiles, Brady Wharton
MIKE - Michael Molnar, Charlie Christopher, Jermaine Minnis
CB - Kendall Bannister, Creed Hill
CB - KJ Sejour, Tony Mathis, Tyson Long
NB - Ronald Jackson Jr.. Barry Dillon Jr., Xavier Williams, Bobby Miller
FS - Eli Thompson, JT Haskins, DJ Morton, Caleb Chamberlin, DJ Hamilton
SS - DJ Walker, Andrew Vera, Taliq Black, Brandon Jenkins

K - Will Hryszko, Brack Peacock
P - Magnus, Haines, Kolten Bartels
LS - Kevin Fay
M.D.W.S.T
General User
Member Since: 12/24/2021
Post Count: 3,700
mail
M.D.W.S.T
mail
Posted: 5/13/2026 9:42 AM
settings_applications edit_note
Morris Mound wrote:expand_more
This is my guess at the moment. I truly don't know who starts or plays where on the offensive line.

QB - Nick Poulos, Matt Vezza, Levi Davis, Hype Grand, Jacob Winters
RB - Duncan Brune, Victor Rosa, Mike Taylor Jr., Aginon Wilson Jr., Irving Brown
WR - Preston Bowman, Kaden Hurst, Riley Neer
WR - Max Rodarte, Eian Pugh, Ian Ver Steeg, Miles Cremascoli, Khamani Debrow
WR - Dom Dorwart, Blake Guffey, Delaney Crawford, Rashad Perry
TE - Andrew Metzger, Jake Furtney, AJ Miller, Aiden Lowery, Tim Boals
LT - Jarian Shelby, Ben Maldonado, CJ Dawson
LG - Kam Wright, Seth Anstead
C - Bryce Parson, Angelo DeLucia
RG - Josh Waite, Cassius Hulbert, Trumain Lawson
RT - Tigana Cisse, Sandro Malicevic

DE - Cody Raymond, Evan Herrmann, Owen DiFranco
DT - Austin Mitchell, Derek Reagans, RJ Keuchler, Nate Riegle
DT - Nehemiah Dukes, Ty Neubert, Brandon Weaver
DE - Tyler Gilllson, Joseph Marsh, Isaiah Street, Ike Ackerman
WILL - Jack Fries, Jasen Kelly, Lukas Stiles, Brady Wharton
MIKE - Michael Molnar, Charlie Christopher, Jermaine Minnis
CB - Kendall Bannister, Creed Hill
CB - KJ Sejour, Tony Mathis, Tyson Long
NB - Ronald Jackson Jr.. Barry Dillon Jr., Xavier Williams, Bobby Miller
FS - Eli Thompson, JT Haskins, DJ Morton, Caleb Chamberlin, DJ Hamilton
SS - DJ Walker, Andrew Vera, Taliq Black, Brandon Jenkins

K - Will Hryszko, Brack Peacock
P - Magnus, Haines, Kolten Bartels
LS - Kevin Fay
Did Raymond play DE in the spring game? He's still listed as a LB. Was a LB at Wisconsin. He's the biggest LB, but would be a pretty small DE at 231. Though Molnar / Fries / Christopher is a damn strong LB crew, so Raymond needs to elevate over them or get some reps at DE. Can't have too much LB depth.

My boy Jacob Winters is no longer on the team. He graduated in Spring, did not enter the portal and is likely hanging it up. Papas is QB5.
Showing Messages: 26 - 33 of 33
reply
vertical_align_top
vertical_align_center
vertical_align_bottom
add_comment
chevron_backward
MAC News Links
chevron_left
Friday, June 5, 2026
chevron_right



extra small (< 576px)
small (>= 576px)
medium (>= 768px)
large (>= 992px)
x-large (>= 1200px)
xx-large (>= 1400px)