2026 MAC Football Preseason Preview: Bowling Green Falcons

Bowling Green had perhaps the most unexpected coaching change of 2025. More than two months passed after the Falcons' bowl game when six-year head coach Scot Loeffler left for a quarterbacks coach position with the Philadelphia Eagles on Feb. 28.

Less than two weeks later, the Falcons brought a Heisman-caliber name to campus, hiring former star Ohio State and Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George, who previously coached in the FCS ranks at Tennessee. George's first year at the helm concluded with a 4-8 record and snapped the program's 3-year bowl eligibility streak. However, his debut season had its moments.

Bowling Green opened the season with a statement non-conference victory over Liberty. Then in October, the Falcons erased a 21-0 deficit against archrival Toledo, storming back for an instant-classic 28-23 upset in front of a sold-out, raucous crowd. Fan engagement was another highlight of George's first year, as the Falcon faithful packed the 24,000-seat Doyt Perry Stadium with over 23,000 spectators three times .

But Bowling Green knows it left plenty of the table, especially on the offensive side of the ball. The Falcons look for a significant reset on offensively, along with marginal defensive improvement. In a wide-open MAC, those could be the key ingredients for the program to clinch its first conference championship appearance since 2015.

What’s New?

The greatest stability within a program is usually observed between years one and two of a coaching regime. Eddie George prepares for his second season, and his staff has avoided significant turnover.

Bowling Green fired offensive coordinator Travis Partridge in early November last year and promoted offensive line coach Greg Nosal to play-caller for the remainder of the month. Nosal, now a seventh-year veteran of the staff, has since been promoted to full-time offensive coordinator in addition to retaining his o-line duties.

Nosal and defensive coordinator Joe Bowden provide continuity to two sides of the ball, but the special teams will be overseen by a new hire. Greg Froelich, who served as Charlotte's special teams coordinator from 2023-24 and Washington's special teams quality control coach in 2025, joined George's saff in February.

New position coach additions include safeties coach Jaylon Bowden, the son of the defensive coordinator, who last served as a linebackers/secondary coach at Temple High School (TX), and quarterbacks coach Spencer McCourt, who recently completed a stint as Michigan's assistant tight ends coach.

Bowling Green didn't dive too deep into the portal to reconstruct its roster. Still, there will be several transfers pertinent to the team's success in 2026. Among them is projected starting quarterback Austin Novosad (Oregon), a former 4-star recruit, and inside linebacker Sanders Ellis (Purdue), a former FCS standout under George at Tennessee State. Other notable transfers to monitor include wide receiver Isaiah Dawson (FCS Richmond), offensive tackle Gabe Funk (Appalachian State), and defensive backs Mike Wright III (Florida Atlantic) and Armahn Hale (New Mexico State).

Offense

• Key arrivals: QB Austin Novosad, QB Jay Kastanin, RB Ke'Marion Baldwin, WR Isaiah Dawson, WR Nick Sowell, OT Gabe Funk
• Key departures: QB Drew Pyne, QB Lucian Anderson III, RB Cameron Pettaway, WR RJ Garcia II, WR Finn Hogan, TE Jyrin Johnson, TE Jacob Harris, C Alex Padgett, G Andrew Kilfoyl, G Jake Burns, OT Nate Pabst, OT Tunde Fatukasi
• Key incumbents: QB Hunter Najm, RB Austyn Dendy, RB Nakai Amachree, TE Blane Cleaver, TE Eli Jacon-Duffy, G Alexis Sanchez, OT James Thomas Jr.

Bowling Green is undergoing somewhat of a full offensive reset, coordinator included, and that might be a necessary step for the program. The Falcons consistently struggled to move the ball in 2025, ranking 117th nationally in scoring offense and 124th in yards per game. They only attained 30 points once, and the difference between wins and losses was simple — all eight losses came with 21 points or fewer, and all four wins featured at least 23 points.

Only two players who started at least six games return, and both are blocking tight ends — Eli Jacon-Duffy and Blane Cleaver, who combined for just four receptions a year ago. However, the Falcons retained their leading rusher in Austyn Dendy, a Missouri transfer who drastically changed the fortune of the run game in November. Dendy only suited up five times but averaged 98.6 yards per game with three 110+ performances. He produced five total touchdowns, including three in the season finale at UMass, and enters 2026 as the centerpiece of Bowling Green's offense.

The Falcons may have solved the run game, but they'll need considerably more production through the air to return to bowl eligibility. Four different quarterbacks started a game last year, and Hunter Najm, who started three games in November, is the only one still on the roster.

However, the favorite for the job is Austin Novosad. Novosad, a former 4-star recruit, sat behind Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel, and Dante Moore in three years at Oregon. He appeared in seven games and fired 15 passes, with his most significant action coming in the 2023 Fiesta Bowl. Bowling Green has become a haven for transfer quarterbacks in the 2020s, and Novosad joins that lineage, hoping to finally prove himself as a redshirt junior.

Novosad and Dendy are expected to be the faces of the offense, but Bowling Green brought in small-school transfers to add further depth to their positions. Former Assumption quarterback Jay Kastanin joins the roster after dominating the Division II level, while Ke'Marion Baldwin arrives after posting 778 rushing yards and six touchdowns at FCS Charleston Southern last year.

The roster doesn't feature many incumbent skill position players with experience. Running back Nakai Amachree and wide receivers Winn Sharp, Brennan Ridley, and Trey Johnson are among those who could see an exponential boost in production given the significant turnover at their position groups. Isaiah Dawson (42 receptions, 575 yards, 4 TD at Richmond) and Nick Sowell (21 receptions, 247 yards, 1 TD) are FCS transfers who should also factor prominently into the receiver rotation.

Even after the loss of Harold Fannin Jr. and a coaching staff change, Bowling Green continued its heavy utilization of tight ends in the receiving game last year. Jyrin Johnson (graduated) ranked first on the team in receiving yards and Jacob Harris (transferred to Wisconsin) checked in at fourth. Returning starters Jacon-Duffy and Claver may see more involvement, or Bowling Green could unlock a new formidable receiving tight end such as Jeremiah Scoby.

The offensive line fully resets, but there is some starting experience within the revamped unit. James Thomas Jr. started two games and saw 355 offensive snaps last year. Although he split time between left tackle and right tackle, he's expected to transition to guard. Other interior linemen with starting experience include Brody Bolyn, who started one game in 2025 and is expected to convert from guard to center, and Alexis Sanchez, who started four games at Northern Arizona in the FCS as far back as 2022. It's an open competition for the tackle positions, with premier candidates including 6'5", 320-pound Alex Harris (12 snaps at left tackle in 2025) and Appalachian State transfer Gabe Funk.

Defense

• Key arrivals: DE Kade Kostus, DT Selah Brown, ILB Sanders Ellis, CB Nick Sawyer, CB Drey Braxton, FS Mike Wright III, SS Armahn Hale
• Key departures: DE Bam Booker, DT Dierre Kelly, DT Evan Branch-Hayes, ILB Gideon ESPN Lampron, OLB Caden Marshall, OLB David Afhogo, CB MJ Cannon, CB Jalen McClendon, CB Keyon Washington, SS Darius Lorfils
• Key incumbents: DE Eriq George, DE Myles Bradley, ILB Andrew Hines III, OLB Dorian Pringle, CB JoJo Johnson, FS Kal-El Pascal, SS Preston EstoEsta

Bowling Green's defense was effective enough for the Falcons to be competitive last year — the offense simply needed to provide more support. Half of the Falcons' opponents scored 24 points or fewer and only two eclipsed 28 points. Bowling Green was solid across most defensive categories, but red zone defense was a glaring exception, allowing touchdowns on 72.7 percent of opponent attempts inside the 20 (128th in FBS), while surrendering points on 31-of-33 trips (132nd in FBS).

On paper, the Falcons only return one player that started at least half the games last season — 12-game starting safety Kal-El Pascal. But Bowling Green's top defensive contributors weren't necessarily full-time starters. Cornerback JoJo Johnson only logged three starts yet ranked second in the FBS with 13 pass deflections. Defensive ends Myles Bradley and Eriq George (the son of head coach Eddie George) were primarily reserves but ranked first and second on the team in sacks with 5.0 and 4.0, respectively. Bradley added three forced fumbles to an impressive breakout campaign, and he'll form one of the MAC's more lethal defensive end tandems this year working alongside George.

To complement that duo, Bowling Green must unearth two defensive tackles capable of creating disruption. This position is the most inexperienced group on defense, with Dayln White (4 tackles in 2025), Dior Garner (4 tackles, 1.5 TFL in 2025), and Louisville transfer Selah Brown (2 career tackles) among candidates to fill the starting vacancies.

But Bowling Green's most significant loss is its lone defensive First Team All-MAC selection. Inside linebacker Gideon ESPN Lampron transferred to Colorado in January, and the Falcons must replace his 119 tackles and 17.5 tackles for loss of production. One significant addition to the room is Sanders Ellis, who formerly played under Coach George at Tennessee State. Ellis won the OVC Defensive Player of the Year as a true freshman in 2024 before spending the 2025 campaign at Purdue. Reunited with Coach George, Ellis looks to pick up where he left off at Tennessee State and become an immediate FCS-to-FBS star, just like Lampron.

Elsewhere at the position, Andrew Hines III and Dorian Pringle headline the incumbent linebackers. Hines, an inside linebacker, posted 22 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss last fall, while Pringle added 27.0 and 6.0, respectively, at outside linebacker.

JoJo Johnson returns on the back end, and interceptions should be on the forefront of his secondary's mind this year. Bowling Green averaged just 0.5 interceptions per game a year ago, and those takeaway numbers need to rise. Johnson will receive help at cornerback from FCS transfers Nick Sawyer (Charleston Southern) and Drey Braxton (NC Central), who combined for three picks in 2025. Josira Andrews is another returning cornerback slated for expanded playing time after the departure of all three starters — including nickel MJ Cannon.

Manning the safety room is the tandem of 12-game starter Kal-El Pascal and 4-game starter Preston EstoEsta. This is one of the more experienced position groups across the Falcons' entire roster, with the two combining for 109 tackles, six pass breakups, and two interceptions in Coach George's first season. Transfers Mike Wright III (Florida Atlantic) and Armahn Hale (New Mexico State) provide significant FBS experience to this room, particularly Hale who tallied 44 tackles and two forced fumbles for the Aggies last fall.

Special Teams

• Key arrivals: P Ryan Kingston
• Key departures: K Jackson Kleather, KR Cameron Pettaway, KR Kaderris Roberts, P John Henderson, LS George Carlson
• Key incumbents: K Travis Kenner, PR Brennan Ridley

Bowling Green enjoyed a very strong kicking game last year. Jackson Kleather vastly improved his performance and finished 19-of-22 on field goals, but the Second Team All-MAC kicker transferred to Northwestern in the offseason. That forces the Falcons to start over at the position. Travis Kenner sunk one extra point last year and is the only kicker on the roster to attempt any in-game field goal or extra point.

Punter John Henderson graduated after two seasons, and unlike at kicker, Bowling Green addressed this vacancy through the transfer portal. Ryan Kingston, a former Eastern Michigan kickoff specialist, spent last season at Southeast Missouri State and finally showcased his punting ability. He earned Second Team All-OVC-Big South Conference honors averaging 41.0 yards per punt with a season-long of 65.

Bowling Green must also find a new kick returner after the departures of First Team All-MAC selection Cameron Pettaway and Kaderris Roberts. Wide receiver Trey Johnson returned a pair of kicks last season and could be a candidate, but the most experienced specialist on the roster is Isaiah Johnson, who returned 21 kickoffs for 497 yards and a touchdown at Richmond in 2025. At punt returner, Brennan Ridley is back after producing all 109 of the Falcons' punt return yards in 2025.

Another significant loss is perhaps the most famous long snapper in the country. George Carlson became a national sensation last fall for his beloved viral pet, Pudge the Cat. Carlson and Pudge have both graduated from the program, and Quillan Jimenez takes over as the new long snapper. It remains undetermined whether he owns a cat.

Outlook

Bowling Green's 2026 success will primarily hinge on its offensive firepower. The unit severely struggled in 2025, especially driven by a lack of consistency at quarterback. The program is counting on Austin Novosad, who waited his turn behind three star quarterbacks at Oregon, to excel in his first legitimate opportunity since his high school days.

A full season of Austyn Dendy could also change the team's offensive outlook. But a running back will only go as far as his offensive line, and the Falcons don't present much experience in the trenches.

Defensively, Bowling Green is in stellar shape. The defensive end duo of Myles Bradley and Eriq George should give MAC offensive lines fits, while the secondary is loaded with talent in JoJo Johnson and Kal-El Pascal and further bolstered by reinforcements such as Armahn Hale. Bowling Green should field one of the better defenses in the MAC, and the unit could be potent enough to emerge in several low-scoring games.

The Falcons could experience a wide range of outcomes in 2026, all depending on how quickly the offense comes together. But that progress might not be evident in September. The non-conference schedule is quite brutal, featuring a rising FCS powerhouse in Tarleton State, along with Nebraska, Iowa State, and South Florida. Conference play doesn't offer much relief. Bowling Green draws road trips at Miami (OH), Western Michigan, and Toledo, presenting another significant challenge in year two of the Eddie George era. Overall, bowl eligibility is a reasonable goal and would represent tangible, upward progress under George.

Schedule

All dates and times are current as of publication. An asterisk (*) denotes a conference game.

^ played at neutral-site Ford Field in Detroit, MI