TOLEDO, Ohio - A fresh outlook is in the air for the Toledo football team as the Rockets open their spring practice season next week. Head Coach Jason Candle is counting on his team's 15 practices this spring as an opportunity for coaches and players—­veterans and newcomers alike­— to help lay the groundwork for a successful season next fall. 

Candle and the Rockets enter the 2020 spring football season with three key additions to the coaching staff.  Toledo also welcomes back 18 starters to the squad, a solid foundation to begin the work of molding this year's team into winning form.

In the off-season, Candle added Craig Kuligowski (co-defensive coordinator/outside linebackers) and Vince Kehres (defensive coordinator/linebackers) to the defensive side of the ball, and Robert Weiner (co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks) to the offensive staff.  This spring will be an important period for the new coaches to mesh with the returning coaching staff and players. 

The new coaches bring significant experience from winning programs. Kehres spent 21 seasons at Mount Union, serving as the program's head coach since 2013 where his record was 95-6. As both a coach and player, Kehres was a part of 12 national titles with the Purple Raiders, twice earning NCAA Division III national coach of the year honors. Kuligowski,  an All-MAC player and former coach at Toledo, helped lead Missouri to five division titles and six bowl victories from 2001-15. In 2018, he was part of the Alabama team that played in the College Football Playoff Championship Game. Weiner won four state titles as head coach at Plant High School in Tampa, Fla. and won 14 consecutive district championships from 2006-18.

The Rockets' coaching staff will have a wealth of talent to work with in 2020. Among the 18 starters returning from last season's 6-6 squad are five All-MAC players: seniors Bryce Harris (offensive line) and Bryce Mitchell (wide receiver), juniors Bryant Koback (running back) and Jamal Hines (defensive end), and sophomore Nick Rosi (offensive line).   
 
The Rockets are deep at virtually every position so there will intense competition for spots in the playing rotation this spring. Many, if not most, of the starting positions will be up for grabs leading up to Toledo's season opener at Tulsa on Sept. 5.

The following is a brief overview of the Rockets heading into the spring practice season:

Offense
A spirited battle at the quarterback position is likely this spring, with at least three players vying to become the Rockets' main signal-caller. Senior Eli Peters has started 10 games over the past two seasons, leading the Rockets to a 6-4 record in those contests. He has thrown for 2,665 yards and 25 touchdowns over the past two seasons while completing 56.2 percent of his passes. Sophomore Carter Bradley started two games in 2019, throwing for 502 yards and one TD. Redshirt freshman Dequan Finn saw limited action in three games last year. 

Toledo returns four starters on the offensive line, including center Bryce Harris, a second-team All-MAC pick in 2018. Harris missed the 2019 season due to injury but is back and ready to pick up where he left off.  Joining Harris is a 2019 All-MAC selection, sophomore Nick Rosi, who also earned second-team Freshman All-America honors. The other two returning starters are senior center/guard Luke Doerger and junior tackle Mitchell Berg.  Others who saw significant playing time in 2019 were senior Josh Fenn, junior Kelvin Ateman and sophomore Tyler Long.  

At running back, junior Bryant Koback and senior Shakif Seymour have established themselves as a solid one-two punch in the backfield. Koback led the Rockets with 1,187 yards and 12 TDs in 2019, earning second-team All-MAC honors. Seymour rushed for 741 yards last season and has totaled 2,008 yards and 22 rushing touchdowns in his Rocket career. Redshirt freshmen Micah Kelly and Jacquez Stuart will also be fighting for playing time this spring.

The receiving corps returns seniors Bryce Mitchell and Danzel McKinley-Lewis. Mitchell caught 35 passes for 679 yards and four TDs in 2019, earning second-team All-MAC honors. McKinley-Lewis grabbed 36 receptions for 615 yards. Other returners to keep an eye on include sophomore Devin Maddox (14 receptions) and junior Nick Kovacs (seven receptions). At tight end, the Rockets return senior Drew Rosi, who caught 18 passes in 2019.

Defense
    Eight starters return to Toledo's defense, including Second-Team All-MAC defensive end Jamal Hines and four veteran defensive backs. 

Hines, a 6-3, 250-pound junior, has compiled 101 tackles and 17.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons. He is joined on the D-line by two returning starters, senior defensive end Nate Givhan (39 tackles, 3.5 TFL in 2019) and sophomore defensive tackle Devan Rogers (29 tackles, 1.5 TFL). Seven other letterwinners return to the defensive line, including junior defensive ends Desjuan Johnson (32 tackles, 7.0 TFL) and Terrance Taylor (26 tackles, 5.5 TFL).  

Toledo's secondary is the most experienced part of the defense, with four players who have been starters in their careers. Junior cornerback Justin Clark is back after missing most of the 2019 season with an injury.  He had 35 tackles and four pass breakups as a starter in 2018. Last year's starting corners, senior Samuel Womack and sophomore Chris McDonald, are also returning. Womack led the MAC with 15 pass breakups in 2019, while McDonald added 10 as a true freshman.     

Returners among the safeties include senior Tycen Anderson, a captain as a junior who started all 12 games and was second on the team with 84 tackles. Other returning safeties with significant experience are sophomores Nate Bauer (38 tackles) and Jalynn Williams (33 tackles)

Junior outside linebacker Saeed Holt (74 tackles, 11.0 TFL) returns after starting all 12 games a year ago. Junior inside linebackers Daniel Bolden (39 tackles) and Dyontae Johnson (23) also return after gaining significant experience as reserves in 2019.

Special Teams
Virtually all of Toledo's key special teams personnel are back this year.  Senior Bailey Flint, a three-year starter, returns at punter after an abbreviated 2019 season. Flint was leading the MAC in punting (47.3) when he went down with a season-ending injury. Sophomore Thomas Cluckey stepped in for Flint and did an admirable job, averaging 42.1 yards per boot. 

Cluckey also shared place-kicking duties with fellow sophomore Evan Davis. Cluckey handled kickoffs and made 3-of-3 field goals. Davis connected on 8-of-13 field-goal attempts with a long boot of 46 yards. Senior Sean Mills returns for his third season at long snapper.     

Toledo has numerous speedsters at its disposal at the return positions. The top two punt returners from 2019—sophomore Devin Maddox and senior Danzel McKinley-Lewis—are back. Maddox will vie with a host of candidates at kickoff return, including senior Ronnie Blackmon, a transfer from Colorado, and redshirt freshman Jacquez Stuart.