BGSU football had its first major spring practice of the year to prepare for the upcoming 2026 season on Tuesday.
“It’s phase two,” head coach Eddie George said. “Now, we’re in spring ball doing more field work. Now is the opportunity for us to grow and to teach off the things that we have focused on.”
With preparation underway, here are four key takeaways from George’s first spring media availability.
A blank canvas of a roster
The offseason was a tough one for Bowling Green, seeing multiple standout players, such as tight end Jacob Harris and linebacker Gideon Lampron, leave in the transfer portal.
Despite the major setback, George isn’t letting him stop growing the progress of roster of either new or returning players that haven’t taken a snap yet.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” George said. “I’ve seen growth, small growth, but it’s heading in the right direction.”
The arrival of Austin Novosad
The quarterback position was one that was a crucial talking point of the offseason, as the Falcons went through four different signal-callers throughout last season.
This past offseason saw the arrival of multiple new faces to the position, including Novosad, a junior Oregon transfer.
While Novosad does bring upside with him, being apart of ESPN’s 300 player ranking coming out of high school, George notes that the young QB is still getting his feet wet under a new system.
“He’s got to learn to master the huddle,” George said. “Once he gets the true command of the huddle and starts to understand the intent of the play, getting his eyes right, he’ll continue to grow.”
Novosad himself noted the excitement amongst the other quarterbacks are excited to go out and compete.
“I think we got a great room,” Novosad said. “Everyone just came out here and competed, making each other better. As spring practices continue to fall, we’re all going to make each other better.”
Coaching changes
The roster was not the only thing that saw a major shakeup, George’s coaching staff would also see a shift in a different direction. With Greg Nosal now being up to the full role of offensive coordinator and former linebackers coach Joe Bowden now taking over as defensive coordinator.
George is hopeful that new changes will blossom into a great opportunity for the Orange and Brown to succeed down the road.
“You have to evolve and grow as a staff,” George said. “We bring in coaches that are great teachers, men of character, and they’re competent. I’m excited to see what we’re going to do.”
Returning names helping newer faces
While the transfer portal wasn’t kind to the Falcons, some notable names from both the offense and defense will continue their playing time with Bowling Green.
Names such as sophomore running back Austyn Dendy and senior cornerback JoJo Johnson will once again represent the Falcons this year on the respective sides of the ball along with creating new relationships with the newer additions.
“I think everybody was excited to be out here because everyone was getting back in pads,” Dendy said. “It’s fun meeting new people knowing that they are going to try and help us win.”
Sharing technique and fundamentals has also been a big key for incorporating an identity.
“Everyone comes from different places, so we’re to get everything together,” Johnson said. “Right now, we’re just trying to make sure everybody knows what’s going on with their technique and coverages.”
