Mike Jacobs Era Begins With First Spring Practice on Tuesday

TOLEDO, Ohio – A new chapter began Tuesday for Toledo Football as the Rockets held their first spring practice for the 2026 season under first-year head coach Mike Jacobs. Tuesday's practice in the Fetterman Training Center marked the first of 15 spring sessions, leading up to the Spring Game on Saturday, April 18 at the Glass Bowl, which will be open to fans.

Jacobs said he was encouraged by what he saw from his team.

"I thought our focus, the urgency with which we practiced today was really good for day one," said Jacobs, who compiled a 94-23 record in 10 seasons as the head coach at Mercer, Lenoir-Rhyne and Notre Dame College. "Certainly, there's a lot to work on, and it's hard to tell before you're in full pads. But the infrastructure and the basis of things are there to have a great plan going forward."

Jacobs was introduced as Toledo's 28th head football coach last December after a successful decade of head coaching experience, including back-to-back Southern Conference championships at Mercer the past two years. He inherits an experienced group of returning contributors along with a highly regarded transfer class that earned the No. 1 ranking in the Mid-American Conference from 247Sports last January.

A strength of the returning roster is an experienced offensive line anchored by four players with meaningful game action. Junior quarterback John Alan Richter also returns, having passed for 699 yards and seven touchdowns across the past two seasons.

Toledo's transfer portal haul features 11 players who earned all-conference recognition at their previous schools, including defensive end Andrew Zock, the 2025 FCS Defensive Player of the Year and one of 14 players who joined the Rockets after playing for Jacobs at Mercer in 2025. Jacobs said it has been an advantage having so many players come into this spring with a familiarity for how he and his staff operate their program.

"They give you an instantaneous voice in the locker room. They can become a megaphone for things they already know work," said Jacobs. "When there are questions on why we do something, they're the direct connection. They say, 'Hey, no, listen, it works, I promise.' All those guys are great kids. They were great students and a lot of them were all-conference players. They had other opportunities, but they fit in here. We need everybody on this team, from one to 100. Everybody's going to have a role."

Toledo opens the 2026 season at Michigan State on Sept. 5 and then plays three consecutive home games, beginning with "The Biggest Party in Toledo" vs. Central Connecticut State on Sept. 12, followed by contests vs. Temple on Sept. 19 and San Diego State on Sept. 26. This will be the first time the Rockets have had seven home contests on their schedule since 2018 and just the third time overall.

Season ticket deposits for the 2026 season are available now at utrockets.com/fbdeposit or by calling the Athletic Ticket Office at 419-530-GOLD.

Players Mentioned

John Alan Richter

Andrew Zock