BOWLING GREEN — For the next 10 months, Scot Loeffler’s biggest challenge with Bowling Green football is repairing the roster.
At several positions, Loeffler said the Falcons are “really thin” in terms of personnel. Over time, Bowling Green aims to build depth through recruiting — but spring practice is about finding solutions for 2019.
Cornerback is one of the positions at which the Falcons currently have more questions than answers. Bowling Green graduated its top three cornerbacks from last year’s team, and only one returner has started a game in the past two seasons.
Asked if that causes concern, Loeffler nodded.
“Absolutely it does,” Loeffler said. “But it’s nothing that we can control.”
The secondary has two veteran safeties in seniors Jerry McBride III and Jamari Bozeman, as well as Caleb Biggers, who started the final four games at the spot as a true freshman last year.
But cornerback is a different story. Regulars Marcus Milton, Clint Stephens, and Montre Gregory — a trio that played in every game and made 34 combined starts — all graduated.
McBride said he and Bozeman are taking it upon themselves to help stabilize a defensive backfield that will feature several players thrust into expanded roles.
“Me and him are taking it personally to teach our DBs and to help them with whatever they need, push them on the right path, and make sure they’re focused on the right things,” McBride said. “We feel like it’s an opportunity and a blessing to be in this position.”
The gap at cornerback was a problem Loeffler identified soon after being hired late in November. Five of BG’s 20 signees from the most recent class are defensive backs.
“The numbers were wrong on the back end, and we had to replace the numbers,” Loeffler said. He added BG will attempt to address similar issues along both lines in the 2020 recruiting class.
“That’s the issue next year, even with recruiting,” Loeffler said. “Normally, you’re sitting [and saying], ‘OK, we’re going to take two offensive linemen, we’re going to take two this.’ We’re taking five D-linemen and five O-linemen, four tight ends. That’s a lot.
“I mean, it goes on and on and on.”
As far as cornerback goes, Bowling Green will use its 15 spring practices to help decide who should play and how much.
The BG defense ranked sixth nationally in the Football Bowl Subdivision in passing yards allowed last season, but its run defense (127th out of 129) struggled. The Falcons allowed 40 points per game and ranked last in the Mid-American Conference.
Bowling Green hopes that practicing against Loeffler’s multiple offensive sets and the speed of practice in general will help young defensive players catch on quickly.
“In practice, you’ve really got to tune in your eyes so you can translate it to the game. Our practices this year, we play fast, and that’s how a game is — you can’t play slow,” McBride said. “Coach Loeffler’s offense, you have to be disciplined with your eyes or else you’re going to get beat every time.”
In the cornerback pool are six players who appeared in at least nine games last season, although redshirt junior Torrian Hampton was the only one who started a game in 2018. Redshirt sophomore Darius Wortham and redshirt junior Ty Redding played a combined 22 games and saw time in the rotation.
Redshirt senior Antonyo Sotolongo did not play last season, but appeared in 20 games the two previous years and intercepted a pass against Toledo in 2017.
Loeffler said it’s also possible the current roster situation will allow some freshmen to play right away.
“We’re going to end up having to play some young guys,” he said. “We’ve just got to get the numbers right.”
First Published April 12, 2019, 2:00 p.m.
