The University of Toledo football team turned in a disappointing campaign in 2019 with a 6-6 overall record and a 3-5 mark in the Mid-American Conference.
A team that started the season with expectations of a MAC title stumbled down the stretch and missed out on a bowl game.
This offseason, Toledo coach Jason Candle has shaken things up by letting go of defensive coordinator Brian George and linebackers coach Mike Ward. He then made a splash by hiring former Mount Union head coach Vince Kehres as the team's defensive coordinator and Craig Kuligowski as the team's co-defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach.
The offseason also saw Toledo offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brian Wright leave to take the head coaching position at Division II Pittsburg State.
Candle will continue to call plays and will take on the offensive coordinator role, but he hired former Tampa Plant High School coach Robert Weiner as the new quarterbacks coach.
Toledo enters the spring practice season, which begins Tuesday, with a new-look staff and a cast of experienced players that includes seven returning starters on offense and eight on defense.
Here are some storylines to monitor this spring:
Quarterback competition
Toledo enters the offseason with a three-man race for the starting quarterback job. Senior Eli Peters has the most experience with 2,665 passing yards and 25 touchdowns in 10 games in the past two seasons. Sophomore Carter Bradley was a highly touted recruit out of Florida. Still just a sophomore, Bradley started two games for the Rockets last season and threw for 502 yards with one touchdown pass. The wild-card is redshirt freshman Dequan Finn, who saw limited action last season but provides dynamic dual-threat ability at the position. It will be interesting to see if the three quarterbacks click with Weiner and if one emerges from the rest of this offseason.
Harris is back
Standout offensive lineman Bryce Harris missed all of 2019 with a knee injury he suffered in offseason workouts. A second team All-MAC performer in 2018, Harris can play center or guard, and that flexibility should help the offensive line this season. Luke Doerger filled in at center for Harris and did an admirable job overall. So does Harris return to the center position or does he shift to guard? Either way, he should give a boost to the offensive line with his leadership, experience, and skill.
Defensive improvement?
One of the big questions this season will be how much improvement the defense will make under Kehres and Kuligowski. There is some talent and experience across the defensive landscape for Toledo, so can a breath of fresh air on the coaching staff lead to immediate gains for the unit this season? Last season, Toledo was near the bottom of the conference in most defensive categories. There is plenty of room to improve, and the spring will be important for the players to get acclimated with the new coaches.
Local trio
It will be an important year for several local standouts. Seniors Bryce Mitchell and Tycen Anderson will be relied on heavily, as will junior Bryant Koback.
Koback, a Springfield grad, is coming off an excellent sophomore campaign at running back. He rushed for 1,187 yards and 12 touchdowns on his way to second team All-MAC honors. He and Shakif Seymour will provide a dynamic duo in the backfield.
Mitchell, a Bowsher grad, will be one of the top returning receivers. He flashed his big-play ability last season with 35 catches for 679 yards and four touchdowns. Mitchell will need to be a go-to receiver this season.
Anderson, a St. John's Jesuit grad, was a team captain last season as a junior. He started all 12 games last season at safety and was second on the team with 84 tackles. He will be counted upon this year to be a leader for the defense.
First Published March 2, 2020, 8:12 p.m.
