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2023 Toledo Football Media Guide

TOLEDO, Ohio - Toledo's 2023 football season will begin with the Rockets carrying a pair of trophies in their arms and a hefty chip on their shoulder.

Toledo went 9-5 in 2022 and won the MAC Championship and the Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl, the first time a Rocket team has won a league title and a bowl game in the same season in 21 years. However, four of Toledo's five losses in 2022 were by a touchdown or less, leaving the Rockets feeling as though they did not reach their full potential. 

"We're a long way away from a finished product," said Head Coach Jason Candle, who enters his eighth season as head coach with a 54-32 record. "Everybody starts the season 0-0. We've got to turn the page away from 2022 and continue to create the identity of team 2023. We've got a lot of work to be done between now and when camp opens up on August 2. But we're excited where we're at right now."

Toledo returns 16 starters this fall, including seven All-MAC selections. Leading the offense is junior quarterback Dequan Finn, who threw for 23 touchdowns and ran for 631 yards on his way to second-team All-MAC honors. Other All-MAC returners on offense include junior offensive lineman Nick Rosi (first-team) and junior wide receiver Jerjuan Newton (second team).

The defense is keyed by a strong secondary that includes junior cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, a first-team All-MAC selection who also was a second-team All-America pick by Walter Camp in 2022. Senior linebacker Dallas Gant and junior safety Maxen Hook were first-team All-MAC selections in 2022, while senior safety Nate Bauer made the second team.

"We have some guys who received some accolades last year, and rightfully so," said Candle. "We had great players on a great team. We'll certainly be leaning on those guys this year. But we've also got some guys we have to replace, like Desjuan Johnson, Dyontae Johnson, Jamal Hines, Jamal Turner. Somebody's got to step up and fill those voids."

The Rockets open their 2023 season with a non-conference game at Illinois on Sept. 2, one of seven opponents who played in bowl games in 2022. Toledo returns to the Glass Bowl to play Texas Southern in its home opener on Sept. 9 that is being billed as "The Biggest Party in Toledo." The MAC season opens on Sept. 23 vs. Western Michigan and finishes on the road at Central Michigan on Nov. 24. Candle expects his team to be challenged each and every week.

"Our league has been ultra-competitive for decades," said Candle. "So we know what lies ahead. We're looking forward to the challenges that are coming our way."

The following is a brief overview of the 2023 Rockets:

Offense

Toledo returns the bulk of the offense that finished second in the MAC in scoring (31.3), as well as third in rushing yards (177.1) and fourth in passing efficiency (132.97). 

Leading the way is junior quarterback Dequan Finn, who completed 59.7 percent of his passes for 2,260 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2022. He was just as dangerous with his legs, rushing for 631 yards and nine scores.  Candle thinks that the best is yet to come for Finn.

"I think Dequan's development over the last 24 to 30 months here has been really impressive to see," said Candle. "He's always been a guy that his teammates gravitate toward. He has the consistency piece of handling adversity and dealing with some of the issues that come up throughout the season."

Behind Finn is sophomore Tucker Gleason, who proved his mettle when Finn was injured. Gleason started in two games, leading the Rockets to a key 27-24 victory over Eastern Michigan by completing 15-of-27 passes for 238 yards and three TDs vs. the Eagles. Redshirt freshman John Alan Richter made major strides in his first season in Midnight Blue and Gold. Freshmen RJ Johnson III and Jacob DeHaan joined the quarterback room this spring, giving the Rockets solid arms in four different classes.

Protecting the quarterbacks is an offensive line that came into its own toward the end of the 2022 season despite a number of early-season injuries. Nick Rosi, a junior and a two-time All-MAC pick who is in his sixth season in the program, is the veteran of a line that includes four other returning starters: senior center Devan Rogers, a converted defensive lineman; junior Vinny Sciurry, who started every game at left guard last season; senior Kendall Major, a junior college transfer who saw starting action at center and right guard in 2022; and junior Tyler Long, a starter at center in 2021 who missed all of last season due to injury.

Other returnees include junior Justin Stephens, and sophomores Garrett Schwiebert and Tanner Wigand. Transfers Rod Orr (Florida State) and David Nwaogwugwu (Rutgers) are looking to make an immediate impact in 2023. Candle feels like the flexibility of the offensive line could help the Rockets survive any possible injury bug.

 "The best combination of the best five will ultimately be who we settle in on at the end of preseason camp," said Candle. "I think we will try to cross-train some guys at both guard and tackle to develop as many skills as we can on the offensive front. We want to create depth and have options if adversity does strike again."

The receiving corps is deep and talented, led by junior Jerjuan Newton, a second-team All-MAC selection who led the team with 53 receptions, 830 yards receiving and nine TD catches. Another talented target is senior Devin Maddox, who has 108 receptions in his career, including 39 last season.

Sophomore Thomas Zsiros (10 receptions) was a part of the regular rotation in 2022 and will battle for a larger role this year. Other returning veterans are senior Adam Beale and sophomore Junior Vandeross. Looking to make an impact after at least a full year in the system are sophomores Dalen Stovall and Elijah Wesley, and redshirt freshman Eric Holley. Sophomore Don Munnerlyn, a 6-5, 220-pound transfer from Rutgers, has the size that could make him a factor this fall.

Toledo returns two experienced tight ends, junior Anthony Torres and sophomore Lenny Kühl. Junior Dalton Andrews and freshman CC Ezirim are also in the battle for playing time.

At running back, the Rockets return three significant contributors from 2022, as well as some up-and-coming youngsters.

Junior Jacquez Stuart, a starter in nine games in 2022, led the team with 770 rushing yards in 2022 and was fourth in the MAC in yards per carry (5.7).  Another junior, Peny Boone, was a tough runner in short-yardage situations, gaining 443 yards. Junior Micah Kelly added 398 yards, starting in five games.

"Jacquez Stuart played his best football in the last couple of games last season," said Candle. "Peny Boone did a really good job in the spots that we used him in. He has to find ways to continue to be consistent in his play. Micah Kelly has played a lot of football for us. Those are three guys who should be very confident in their ability to go out and play well."

Other running backs in the mix are sophomore Willie Shaw and freshman Connor Walendzak, who joined the team in the spring. 

Defense

For the second straight year, the Rockets had one of the best defenses in the Mid-American Conference. Toledo led the league in total defense (326.1), passing yards allowed (183.0) and defensive passing efficiency (112.19) in 2022. The Rockets have four All-MAC honorees among their seven returning starters on defense from last year.

"Last year, we did a really good job of shutting down the other teams' passing attacks," said Candle. "Part of that is a good solid pass rush but, for the most part, a great pass defense doesn't make mistakes and doesn't have communication errors."

The deepest area on the Rockets' defense is the secondary. Junior cornerback Quinyon Mitchell had a breakout season in 2022, leading the nation with 25 passes defended (five interceptions, 20 pass breakups) and making the Walter Camp (second team) and Associated Press (third team) All-America teams. Mitchell gained national prominence when he intercepted four passes, including two pick-sixes, against Northern Illinois on Oct. 8.

Joining Mitchell at cornerback is senior Chris McDonald, a two-year starter who has three interceptions and 24 pass breakups in his career. Juniors RJ Delancy III (23 tackles, three breakups) and Andre Fuller (18 tackles, three breakups), as well as sophomore Nasir Bowers (10 tackles), all saw regular action at the corner in 2022. 

Toledo is blessed with three veteran safeties, including two who have earned All-MAC honors twice in their careers, senior Nate Bauer and junior Maxen Hook. Hook, a first-team all-league pick in 2022, totaled 81 tackles and four pass breakups in 2022, while Bauer had 61 tackles and broke up four passes on his way to second-team accolades. Senior Zachary Ford (58 tackles, six breakups) has been a regular in the secondary for the past three seasons.

Backing up this trio is talented sophomore Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, who saw significant action on special teams as a freshman in 2022.

At linebacker, the Rockets return first-team All-MAC honoree Dallas Gant, who led UT with 116 tackles in 2022. Gant, a senior, will be counted on to fill some of the leadership role vacated by Dyontae Johnson, who completed his distinguished college career last fall. Another experienced returnee is junior Jackson Barrow, who had two starts and 31 tackles last year.  Sophomores Sawiaha Ellis, Connor Jones and Damon Ollison II also figure to be battling for playing time.

The biggest transition on defense will be on the front line where the Rockets lose three starters from 2022, including four-time All-MAC defensive end Jamal Hines and three-time All-MAC defensive tackle Desjuan Johnson, an NFL Draft pick by the LA Rams last spring. However, Toledo returns a solid lineup of veterans as well as some newcomers who could make an impact in 2023. 

Senior tackle Judge Culpepper has been a constant on the interior line over the past two seasons, racking up 87 tackles in 27 starts. Junior Cavon Butler, who began the 2022 season as a starter at defensive tackle, is back after missing most of last year due to injury. Another junior, Darius Alexander, played a key role at tackle last year, picking up 21 tackles and 7.0 tackles for loss. Sophomore Martez Poynter also figures to be in the mix next fall.

At the defensive end/edge rusher position, the Rockets look forward to the return of senior Terrance Taylor, who missed most of last season due to injury. Taylor has started 17 games in his career, totaling 86 tackles and 21.5 tackles for loss. Another senior, Adrian Woliver, is back after picking up a career-high 24 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 2022. Junior Deshawn Holt (15 tackles in 2022) and sophomore Jeremiah Peters figure to be in the mix for playing time in 2023, as well as Missouri transfer Travion Ford.

Special Teams
New special team coordinator Stanton Weber looks to make an impact after spending the last two seasons as the special teams analyst at South Carolina. 

"I think we needed a shot in the arm of overall approach and time and energy spent on the development of the special teams," said Candle "Stanton has a tremendous background coming from South Carolina. I think he will do a great job for us."

Junior Luke Pawlak is the leading candidate at placekicker after making two field goals in a reserve role in 2022. Four newcomers are vying for roles at either placekicker or punter: junior Michael Denning, a transfer from Dayton; redshirt freshman Kaden Claassen, a junior college transfer from Butler (Kan.) CC; and freshmen Emilio Duran and Liam Quigley.

There will be a number of candidates battling to assume the return roles. Junior Jacquez Stuart returns as Toledo's main kickoff returner from 2022, while senior Adam Beale is back to return punts.