Weaver leaves Ohio ranked fifth all-time in sacks, as the team’s leader in 2023 and 2024.
The Ohio Bobcats are in the midst of their best run in program history.
In the month of December, Ohio strung together three-straight 10+ win seasons, three-straight bowl wins, and claimed the 2024 MAC championship — its first since 1968. The Bobcats’ run of success has been heavily defensive driven, but the team will lose one of the key anchors of that defense as the calendar flips to 2025.
Defensive end Bradley Weaver completed his transfer from Ohio to Rutgers on Wednesday. Weaver spent four seasons at Ohio, first onboarding prior to the 2021 campaign. The defensive end saw a significant uptick in production in 2023 and quickly became one of the most important pieces on one of the nation’s premier defense. Weaver led the Bobcats in sacks and tackles for loss in 2023 with 6.0 and 13, respectively, and then repeated the feat in 2024 with 8.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss. His 8.5 sacks in 2024 were the third-most in a single season in program history.
The Hilliard, OH native was shockingly snubbed from all three All-MAC teams in 2023, but he landed as a First Team All-MAC selection in his follow-up act in 2024. Despite only holding starting duties for two seasons, Weaver leaves Ohio ranked fifth all-time in career sacks at 14.5.
With Weaver leading the defensive line, Ohio featured one of the best defenses in all of college football in 2023 and 2024. In 2023, the Bobcats checked in at 6th nationally in scoring defense, 8th in total defense, and 4th in run defense. Ohio subsequently lost its defensive coordinator and saw the majority of defensive starters turn over from 2023 to 2024, leaving Weaver as one of the few constants. Yet amidst all the change, the Bobcats were 12th in scoring defense, 10th in total defense, and 3rd in run defense in 2024.
Weaver entered the transfer portal in the spring of 2024, but backed out to return to Ohio. This time, he commits to Rutgers with one year of eligibility remaining, and coincidentally, his next game will be against the Bobcats on Aug. 30. Weaver and the Scarlet Knights opens their 2025 schedule hosting Ohio before battling the Bobcats’ arch rival Miami (OH) the following week.