After winning their third national championship in four years, only eight months ago, Tony Annese and the Bulldogs are set to return to the field this week.
The number one-ranked Ferris returns to Top Taggart Field to face off in a week zero matchup against the team that served them their only loss last season, the Pittsburg State Gorillas.
The Bulldogs are no longer the same team they were eight months ago, as they have lost many star players to the transfer portal, including Harlon Hill finalist quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who transferred to Ole Miss. They also lost running back Kannon Katzer to West Virginia, left tackle Bryce George to Iowa, right tackle Lawrence Hattar to Michigan, linebacker Sefa Saipaia to Western Michigan and wide receiver Tyrese Hunt Thompson to North Texas.
The Bulldogs did retain multiple key players who entered the transfer portal, like offensive linemen seniors Tim and Bob Anderson, defensive back senior Justin Payoute and slot receiver junior Deion Small.
For former national champion and current assistant running backs coach Noah Kindle, this team is still hungry for more, and he knows this team can win yet another championship.
“We lost some playmakers, but the culture and expectations are still the same as last year,” Kindle said. “The energy in the locker room is hungry and competitive; our guys are ready to make their own mark. The standard hasn’t changed for us, and our guys understand that wearing a Ferris State jersey means carrying on that championship mindset each and every day.”
The Bulldogs will return to their two-quarterback system, as last year, with the injury of junior Carson Gulker, Chambliss took over the duties of quarterback. With the loss of Chambliss to Ole Miss, it will be Gulker, sophomore Chase Carter and redshirt freshman Wyatt Bower splitting the reps for this season.
Head coach Tony Annese has faith in his quarterback’s abilities and knows they will run the offense well.
“We’re going to be using Chase Carter and Wyatt Bower alongside Carson Gulker,” Annese said. “They’re all very capable of being able to run our offense.”
As for the loss of Katzer, his replacement will be junior Zak Ahern, who was the backup running back last year for the Bulldogs, rushing for 195 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry, with six touchdowns on the year. With his biggest game of the year being in the second round of the playoffs against Central Oklahoma, where he ran four times for 69 yards and two touchdowns, with 65 of those yards coming on a touchdown run to make the score 76-16.
On the recruiting trail, the Bulldogs secured multiple top recruits in Michigan, receiving commits from three different three-star recruits, such as edge rusher Warren Cain from Davison, wide receiver Calondrey Hardy from Central High School in Detroit and wide receiver Jami Williams from Catholic Central in Grand Rapids. The Bulldogs also received commits from multiple two-star recruits in edge rusher Kade Friesen from Rockford, quarterback Sante Gasperoni from De La Salle in Warren and athlete Marquis Peoples Jr from Belleville.
Gulker believes this team is still great and knows the Bulldogs can keep succeeding despite their losses during the offseason.
“The team is feeling great, we wish all of our guys who left the best, and we are rooting for them,” Gulker said. “We are focused on getting better each and every day, but the biggest thing that we need to do is continue to grow each and every day. If we focus on us and nobody else, and just continue to have that growth mindset, I think we will be a great team.
The reigning national champion Bulldogs will return to Top Taggart Field for the first game of their season on Thursday, Aug. 28, against the Pittsburg State Gorillas at 7 p.m.