Buffalo Rebuilds Around a Veteran Secondary as Lembo Searches for a Quarterback
Buffalo went 5-7 (4-4 MAC) in 2025, a step back for a program that had won nine games the year before, and the finish told the story: a three-game losing streak to close the year cost the Bulls a bowl bid. Now head coach Pete Lembo, 14-11 in two seasons at Buffalo and 126-76 across a long career, is essentially starting over. Roster turnover has been dramatic, with more than 30 new faces arriving, and the defining questions of the offseason are whether a young quarterback can seize the job under new offensive coordinator Tony Tokarz and how the front seven replaces All-America linebacker Red Murdock.
Offense
The most pressing issue on the roster is at quarterback, and it may not be settled until the season is underway. Redshirt freshman Jason Wright, who enrolled early and worked through spring practice, profiles as the front-runner: he has good size, real athleticism and a high ceiling as a two-way threat, and the coaching staff is eager to see how quickly he absorbs Tokarz's system. He is not alone, though. The spring competition ran three deep, with Wright pushed by holdover Mason Cumbie and Wingate transfer Elijah Holmes, and Lembo has openly suggested the battle could stretch into the opener. Whoever wins, growing pains are a safe bet, and the offense will need help around him early.
The receiver room has to be rebuilt after losing two All-MAC producers to the transfer portal. Senior Jasaiah Gathings is the anchor and the clear No. 1 target, coming off a 410-yard season and a spot among the team's few proven veterans. Around him the picture is younger: Chance Morrow is a 6-foot-4 red-zone threat, while Dwayne Early Jr. and Tyrell Simmons Jr. both drew notice in the spring and figure to see snaps. At tight end the pecking order is unsettled, with the staff sorting through younger options and a veteran presence in the room.
The backfield is one of the offense's more stable spots. Junior Terrance Shelton Jr. was the team's second-leading rusher a year ago, running for 244 yards and a touchdown while seeing regular action, and he steps into the lead role. That continuity matters while the quarterback picture gets sorted out. Messiah Burch adds a change-of-pace element as a gadget back capable of the occasional explosive play.
This is where the offense has the most to prove. Senior guard Alex Heininger is the lone returning starter, and everything else up front is being reassembled. Gabriel Arena projects at left tackle and Tyrone Davis at right tackle, with the interior spots still taking shape. The unit was a weakness a year ago, and it is not clear the Bulls have upgraded enough to protect a first-year starter and open room for the run game.
Defense
The front has to be rebuilt around a single returning starter. Graduate defensive tackle Cornell Evans played in all 12 games last season and is counted on to take a real leap as the anchor inside. The edge relies heavily on newcomers: transfers Logan Goodwin and Sedrick Vessah both earned all-league recognition at their previous stops, and Will Clark parlayed special-teams work into a strong spring at defensive end. Jacari Bennett and interior addition Stantavious Smith round out a group with talent but little continuity.
Replacing Murdock is the tallest task on the roster. The departed Mike linebacker was second in the nation in tackles across his last two seasons and went on to be a late NFL Draft selection, and his production is not easily replaced. Virginia transfer Stevie Bracey, a four-year Cavalier, is the headliner among the newcomers and is expected to lead the group. FCS Cornell transfer Joey Cheshire impressed the staff early, and redshirt freshman George Hill is in the mix for a rotational role. This corps will be pieced together from transfers and holdovers.
The secondary is the strength of the team and could rank among the best pass-defending units in the MAC. Buffalo finished No. 23 nationally against the pass a year ago at 186.4 yards per game, and it returns experience where it counts. Corners Kobi Blackwell and Keontez Bradley both started roughly half the schedule, with Blackwell posting a team-high seven pass breakups and Bradley chipping in 28 tackles and four breakups of his own. Veteran Miles Greer, third on the team in tackles last year, is back at safety and also handles punt returns, while the nickel spot has capable veteran options. West Virginia transfer Zae Jennings adds further depth on the back end.
The kicking operation comes with questions. Placekicker Oliver Hautanen did not attempt a kick as a true freshman, and the punting job is an open competition between Ethan Stumpf, who has yet to punt in a college game, and James Madison transfer Andrew VanSlyke. Shelton handles kickoff returns and Greer takes punts, giving Buffalo proven hands in the return game even as the specialists sort themselves out.
Overview and Prediction
The schedule offers little relief. Buffalo draws four of the top five MAC finishers from a year ago in Western Michigan, Miami (Ohio), Toledo and Central Michigan, and adds a nonconference trip to Penn State. The preseason consensus slots the Bulls around sixth in the league and outside the national top 100.
Lembo is a steady program-builder whose teams are typically disciplined and hard to put away, but this is a genuine reset. The rebuild hinges on the quarterback: if Wright or one of his challengers emerges and the offensive line firms up, the veteran secondary is good enough to keep Buffalo competitive week to week. If the passing game stalls, reaching a second bowl in Lembo's first three seasons will be a real challenge.