Toledo Football

With several of its members departing for the Pac-12, the Mountain West Conference is eyeing a pair of teams from the Mid-American Conference.

Per Action Network's Brett McMurphy, the Mountain West Conference notified the MAC of its interest in Northern Illinois and Toledo as football-only members in 2026.

Along with NIU and Toledo, the Mountain West is eyeing Texas State out of the Sun Belt, per ESPN's Pete Thamel. The Bobcats would be an all-sports addition, unlike Toledo and NIU.

NIU and Toledo have consistently found success in the MAC, winning seven of the last 13 conference championships. Last year, NIU finished 7-6 with an appearance in the Camellia Bowl while Toledo went 11-3, reaching as high as No. 23 in the AP Poll and playing in the Arizona Bowl.

NIU has had a strong start to the 2024 season, knocking off No. 5 Notre Dame in Week 2 to earn a spot in the AP Top 25. The Huskies are 2-1 after losing to Buffalo in Week 4. Toledo is 3-1 to start the year, picking up a signature win over Mississippi State in Week 3.

Texas State struggled for much of the past decade since its move to the FBS level in 2012, but the Bobcats have had a resurgence under new head coach G.J. Kinne, going 8-5 a year ago with a win in the First Responder Bowl.

Texas State is 2-1 so far this season with its only loss coming to Arizona State.

Over the past few weeks, the Mountain West has lost Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State to the Pac-12, leaving it with just seven teams. Even if the Mountain West can add NIU and Toledo, it would still need two more all-sport members to meet NCAA requirements.

Bringing in Texas State would be one step in the right direction as the Mountain West looks to avoid crumbling due to conference realignment.

HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 195

HAND: 9 1/8"

ARM: 31 1/8"

WINGSPAN: 75 3/4"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.33

3-CONE:

SHUTTLE:

VERTICAL: 38"

BROAD: 10'0"

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POSITIVES

— Very good vision when in zone coverage. Has the route recognition needed to patiently read and react to the quarterback or the ball in the air.

— Shows the speed necessary to carry receivers deep. Gets to his top speed quickly and has great turnover.

— Solid tackler, especially when tackling receivers. Not afraid to be physical out of break and deliver a blow.

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NEGATIVES

— Slower transitions at times. Doesn't always trust his eyes out of breaks and can be slow to open and run downfield.

— Questionable tackler in open space. Not interested in wrapping up bigger running backs, often dips his head and throws a shoulder at ball-carriers on the edge.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 13 G, 41 TOT, 2 TFL, 1 INT, 18 PD

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NOTES

— DOB: NA

— 40 career starts

— 3-star recruit in the 2020 class, per 247Sports

— 2023 second-team All-American (AP)

— 2023 and 2022 first-team All-MAC

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OVERALL

Quinyon Mitchell is one of the top cornerbacks at the Group of Five level. The three-year starter was quite productive when playing the ball. He has the strength and physicality to defend the run and the speed and ball skills to cover downfield.

Mitchell is a very good coverage defender who performs best in off coverage. Though he has a rigid backpedal at times, he has the patience to allow routes to develop and react with quick feet to transition. He doesn't always trust his eyes when breaking, which has caused his transitions to be slow and sloppy. But when he's able to stay square and drive on what he sees, Mitchell has explosive breaks.

Mitchell drives using very good angles, combined with the ball skills necessary to disrupt catches. He can be slow to open and run at times, but he has the top-end speed to run with most receivers he faced. When he's able to get his head around and play the ball, Mitchell has great awareness and ball skills, though he lacks the hands to capitalize on all of his opportunities.

When tackling and playing the run game, Mitchell does a very good job of keeping his leverage on the edge. When taking on blocks, he does a good job of keeping his outside arm free and condensing running lanes. He did struggle with disengaging and working past blocks on the edge at times.

When tackling receivers on the edge, Mitchell does a great job of being physical and running his feet through the tackle. On the flip side, when tackling running backs, he has less security when tackling. Mitchell often opts to dive at ball-carriers' legs and not wrap up in the open field. Though he has the willingness to contribute against the run, he will need to work on securing the tackle in the NFL.

Mitchell has the skill set to play both man and zone, but he would be best served in a zone scheme, where he can play from off coverage and see the routes develop in front of him. He has the ceiling of a top-15 selection, with the potential of being a Day 1 starter and lengthy NFL career.

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GRADE: 8.5 (Impact Player — 1st Round)

OVERALL RANK: 10

POSITION RANK: CB1

PRO COMPARISON: Corey Ballentine

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

Noah Sanders, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, has received his first offer to play college football.

The class of 2025 running back was offered by Toledo after rushing for 145 yards and three touchdowns and catching one pass for 45 yards in a game for Birmingham Groves High School in Michigan last Friday, per Allen Trieu of 247Sports.

"It was a surreal moment to find out that I had just received my first offer," Sanders said. "I had been thinking about that day for years and for it to finally come was a dream come true."

Sanders added that "a few other schools have reached out" to him, one of which was Pittsburgh, but he doesn't have any visits planned yet. He should receive more interest if he can build upon his most recent game.

"My goals are to get over 1,200 all-purpose yards and 14 or more touchdowns," Sanders said. "And team-wise, we definitely want to make a deep run into the playoffs."

Sanders is 5'11", 170 pounds. He does not yet have a prospect ranking on 247Sports.

Barry Sanders was a star running back for the Detroit Lions from 1989-1998, earning 10 Pro Bowl selections, six All-Pro nods, two Offensive Player of the Year awards and one MVP honor, which came in 1997.

In 153 games across 10 NFL seasons, Barry Sanders rushed for 15,269 yards and 99 touchdowns and caught 352 passes for 2,921 yards and 10 scores. He ranks fourth on the NFL's all-time rushing yards list.

Barry will be hoping his son can follow in his footsteps.

HEIGHT: 6'2⅛"

WEIGHT: 285

HAND: 9¾"

ARM: 31¾"

WINGSPAN: 78⅜"

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40-YARD DASH: 5.02

3-CONE: 8.03

SHUTTLE: 4.5

VERTICAL: 29"

BROAD: 9'0"

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POSITIVES

– Lightning quick off the ball, quick to react to the snap and has elite acceleration off the line of scrimmage.

– Takes on blocks with good leverage and keeps his feet moving through contact, which, combined with his get-off, can allow him to get penetration or reset the line of scrimmage.

– Attacks the man he's lined up across from and can disrupt the offensive lineman's path to the second level against combo blocks.

– Hustle player with a good pass-rush motor.

– Versatile. He played up and down the defensive line for Toledo, lining up as wide as a 5-technique and as far inside as a nose tackle.

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NEGATIVES

– Undersized with poor arm length for an NFL defensive tackle.

– Takes on blocks with his shoulders and head instead of his hands, making getting extension and getting off blocks from offensive linemen difficult.

– Offensive linemen who can either match his leverage or absorb contact will be able to push him out of his gap. Struggles to fight back against pressure from down blocks or if slanting puts him in a bad position.

– Use of hands as a pass-rusher is almost nonexistent.

– Doesn't have a pass-rush move he'll be able to win with.

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2022 STATS

– 14 G, 65 total tackles (26 solo), 16.5 TFL, 5.5 sacks, 1 INT

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NOTES

– A 3-star recruit in the 2018 class, No. 1,579 overall, No. 78 SDE, per 247Sports' composite rankings

– 31 career starts

– No major injuries

– 2022 Honors: First-Team All-MAC

– 2021 Honors: Second-Team All-MAC

– 2020 Honors: Second-Team All-MAC

– Father, Dion, played football at Kansas

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OVERALL

Desjuan Johnson is an extremely quick defensive tackle, as the first thing that stands out on his tape is his get-off. That can allow him to get penetration and be a disruptor because he'll catch unsuspecting offensive linemen off guard. His quickness and efficient footwork when slanting can be a problem for offenses, too. However, his game is narrow beyond that.

Johnson has a few physical limitations that will be bigger issues at the next level. Most notably, his arms are very short for the position, and that's going to cause him issues when trying to get off blocks as his extension against offensive linemen will be limited.

Also, he's a little light and could afford to get stronger, as he'll get pushed around by linemen who can survive his initial surge at the point of attack.

As a pass-rusher, the Toledo product leaves a lot to be desired. He doesn't use his hands much and lacks a go-to move, as the majority of his production stems from effort/his pass-rush motor. The latter is great to have but won't cut it in the NFL.

Overall, Johnson's position versatility and rare get-off will make him an intriguing developmental prospect for teams. He has experience playing up and down the defensive line in college, which could make him a solid rotational piece down the line.

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GRADE: 6.0 (High-level developmental prospect/Round 5)

OVERALL RANK: 190

POSITION RANK: DL22

PRO COMPARISON: Short-armed Osa Odighizuwa

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Written by B/R NFL Draft Scout Matt Holder

Toledo junior defensive lineman Jahneil Douglas died Tuesday at 22 years old, the school announced.

"We were all shocked to learn of the tragic death of Jahneil Douglas," athletic director Mike O'Brien said. "This is a devastating loss for our football team and our University, and a very sad day for all of us in Rocket Nation."

Those we love never truly leave us. JD will forever be part of the Rocket Family and his infectious smile will never be forgotten. Our prayers are with him and his family. #RIPJD #OneRocket pic.twitter.com/ROrKcWUyyG

— Jason Candle (@CoachCandle) July 8, 2020

According to WTOL 11, police reported Douglas was shot outside of a restaurant in west Toledo, Ohio, after an altercation between two men and later died at a local hospital.

Douglas made 12 appearances and two total tackles through his first two seasons with the Rockets.

A native of Toledo, he played a starring role as an offensive and defensive lineman at Start High School. He was a first-team All-Ohio offensive lineman as a senior in 2016.

According to WTOL, an investigation into Douglas' death remains ongoing and no arrests have been reported.

Henry County (Georgia) Police Officer David Rose was fired for using excessive force against former Toledo cornerback Desmond Marrow while arresting him on Dec. 2, per ESPN.com.

Footage of the arrest circulated online in April. In it, per the ESPN report, "officers can be seen forcefully taking a handcuffed Marrow to the ground by sweeping his legs out from under him as he yells, 'I'm not even fighting back.' When Marrow was on the ground, an officer put his hand on Marrow's throat for several seconds and Marrow said, 'I can't breathe,' while another officer told him to settle down."

According to Henry County Police Chief Mark Amerman, Rose could then be heard on his in-car camera system saying that he choked Marrow but wouldn't make a note of doing so in his police report.

Marrow was arrested and charged with misdemeanor reckless and aggressive driving, which Henry County District Attorney Darius Pattillo confirmed was under review, according to Kaylee Hartung, Dakin Andone and Steve Almasy of CNN.com.

Pattillo added that a felony charge of obstruction of an officer was being dismissed.

"We have reviewed the police reports, witness statements, 911 calls, audio and videos, as well as interviewed witnesses, and determined there is insufficient evidence to present any felony charges to a grand jury," he said.

Marrow and his attorneys said Henry County "got it right" in the aftermath of the incident, and Marrow spoke about his arrest as well Thursday.

"I just want to say the situation is bigger than me," he said. "I speak for the people that have been in the same predicament and they've died or they're not here to talk about the situation. So it's a win and it's a victory for their moms, for their families, along with my mom and my family, too."

Marrow, 30, played for Toledo between 2006-11. He tried out for the Houston Texans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012 but never stuck with either team.

The University of Toledo had a late change of heart about changing its mascot from a rocket to Shrek.

ESPN.com's Darren Rovell tweeted an image of the deleted post by the school:

It appears as though the University Of Toledo has deleted its promise to change its mascot to Shrek if it got 500K retweets. Was getting roughly 1,000 retweets a minute towards the end. pic.twitter.com/fqrQPUItkv

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) April 24, 2018

Even though Toledo may not live up to its word, the Stanford Tree issued its own challenge involving Shrek:

10k retweets and I'll dress as Shrek for graduation (and I'll keep my word, unlike @UToledo) pic.twitter.com/nkmzUGIPD5

— Stanford Tree 🌲 (@DaStanfordTree) April 24, 2018

As for why Toledo decided to pull the tweet as it was picking up steam, the school offered a short explanation.

"The tweet was meant to be fun, but it caused too much of a distraction," spokesperson Christine Billau said in an email to Rovell.

Rocky the Rocket has been the University of Toledo's mascot since the 1966-67 academic year, and it doesn't appear to be in danger of being replaced.

Toledo did a great job making money this season, going 8-2-1 against the spread on its way to a nine-win campaign; Temple wasn't too bad itself in that endeavor, going 9-4 ATS on its way to 10 wins. The offensive-minded Rockets meet the defensive-minded Owls in the Boca Raton Bowl.

Boca Raton Bowl point spread: The Owls opened as one-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 37.0-27.2 Rockets

Why the Owls can cover the spread

Temple began this season 7-0, with wins over Penn State and Cincinnati, then suffered a tough 24-20 loss to Notre Dame. The Owls then won three of their last four games to clinch the AAC's East Division title. Unfortunately, Temple gave one of its poorer performances of this season in the conference championship game, losing at Houston 24-13.

The Owls actually outgained the Cougars 385-339, but an early turnover turned into a Houston touchdown, and Temple never recovered, missing ATS as a six-point dog.

The Owls can run a bit pedestrian on offense, although they did manage to average 31 points per game this season. And their defense ranks 17th in the country overall, 16th in scoring, allowing just 19 points per game.

Why the Rockets can cover the spread

Toledo also opened this season 7-0 with victories over Arkansas, Iowa State and Arkansas State. The Rockets then lost to Northern Illinois, won two more in a row, but then, with the MAC West title on the line, lost at home to Western Michigan in the season finale, 35-30.

Toledo outrushed and outgained the Broncos, but a fumbled punt late in the first half, the Rockets' only turnover of the day, turned into a Western Michigan touchdown, basically costing Toledo the game.

The Rockets have now outgained and outrushed eight of their last nine opponents.

Toledo will play this bowl under new head coach Jason Candle, after Matt Campbell left to take over at Iowa State. A change like that can cause some turbulence, but it can also create an atmosphere of camaraderie, as a team pulls together in an unusual situation.

Smart pick

Temple owns the edge on defense, and that's often a good way to bet bowl games, but Toledo's balance on offense will help to negate that advantage. The smart money here rides the Rockets.

Betting trends

Temple is 1-5 SU and ATS in its last six games against Toledo.

Temple is 11-3 SU and 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games.

The total has gone under in 10 of Temple's last 14 games against the MAC.

All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark, all quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and get the free odds tracker app.

With most of the football world either still fighting the New Year's Six hangover or focused on the NFL playoffs, the GoDaddy Bowl isn't exactly a marquee event.

But Kareem Hunt made sure America took notice.

The explosive sophomore running back racked up a GoDaddy Bowl-record 271 rushing yards and five scores against Arkansas State, leading the Rockets to an entertaining 63-44 victory on Sunday night.

Boo-yah! Toledo beats Arkansas State 63-44 in the #GoDaddyBowl

Toledo RB Kareem Hunt: 32 car, 271 yds 5 TD pic.twitter.com/5dnot2KZHH

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) January 5, 2015

One of the most productive backs in the nation, Hunt finishes the season with 1,631 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. CBS Sports' Dane Brugler foresees him as a major part of the draft conversation once eligible next season:

Hunt is only a true soph so not draft-eligible yet but we'll be talking about his NFL future next year. So tough and balanced w/ foot quicks

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) January 5, 2015

Hunt, who looked like he was operating against defenders stuck in molasses for most of the night, had his biggest run of the day in the first quarter. He took a carry to the left, put one foot into the ground, cut upfield and exploded 44 yards to pay dirt with ease:

Kareem Hunt is having a day

The Toledo RB bursts free for the 44-yd TD (2nd of day). 21-7 Rockets in 1Q #GoDaddyBowl http://t.co/UZIkiVVnm9

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) January 5, 2015

While Hunt was the star, Toledo's defense came up with a number of big plays as well.

Junior linebacker Trent Voss recovered a fumble in the end zone on the first play from scrimmage, giving Toledo a lead just 10 seconds into the game.

Just before halftime, the defense did it again, as Allen Covington picked up another fumble and rumbled 67 yards for a touchdown, giving the audience the always-beloved "fat guy TD."

Of course, that's only by definition, as Covington weighs in at 275 pounds. It certainly didn't look like a typical "fat guy TD":

HALF: Toledo leads Arkansas State 35-17 in the #GoDaddyBowl

With :34 left in 2Q, Rockets had a huge 67-yd #PickSix http://t.co/wVKtdIMdhT

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) January 5, 2015

Arkansas State wasn't without its highlights. Fredi Knighten completed 23 of 31 passes for 403 yards and touchdown throws of three, 27, 44, 55 and 66 yards. Three of those went to Booker Mays, who finished with five receptions and 138 yards.

Probably most known as the fainting player in Arkansas State's now-famous fake punt attempt, Mays quadrupled his touchdown total on the season, per CBS Sports CFB:

Booker Mays had 1 TD for Arkansas St. during the season. 3 tonight after that one. Back to 49-38, Rockets over Red Wolves,10:08 4Q.

— Cover 3 Podcast (@Cover3Podcast) January 5, 2015

The Red Wolves also had their own defensive score, as Money Hunter returned an interception 94 yards, cutting the deficit to 11 points late in the third quarter.

But every time Arkansas State got close, Toledo went right back to Hunt, moving the ball on the ground with little resistance. Even when Hunt went down in the fourth quarter with a cramping issue, Damion Jones-Moore came in and added 103 yards and two touchdowns of his own.

The loss ends a two-game winning streak in the GoDaddy Bowl for Arkansas State.

Nevertheless, after amazingly losing Hugh Freeze, Gus Malzahn and Bryan Harsin to head coaching jobs in the last three years, it's an incredible accomplishment by the program to simply keep churning out winning seasons.

As for Toledo, it has some rebuilding to do next season, as it loses all five of its senior starting offensive linemen.

With Hunt, though, it may not matter who's blocking for him. He should keep the Rockets firmly in contention atop the Mid-American Conference in 2015.