Head coach: Chad Grabowski (1-9 in one year here; 63-49 overall)
Returning starters: 9 offensive; 10 defensive
Key players: RB-SS Chance Bailey (5-10, 190); RB-FS Chase Mickens (5-9, 165); QB-LB Bryson Grabowski (6-2, 180); RB-LB Joe Boggs (6-1, 185); OL-DL Joseph Johnson (6-1, 225); WR-OLB Timothy Fair (6-1, 180); OL-DL Chance Rollins (6-3, 280); OL-DL Isaac Leslie (6-0, 180); WR-OLB Cody Montgomery (6-3, 175); OLB Larry Dye (5-10, 170); DL Hunter Perry (5-11, 250); MLB Tyler Adams (5-11, 205); WR Timothy Jabaley (6-1, 180); WR A.J. Miles (6-5, 200).
Team strengths: The Cougars lost only four seniors from last year's team, and having 19 total starters back, with a year of adjustment to the new offensive and defensive systems, should pay off on the field. Grabowski also was able to coax more athletes from the hallways - some from the basketball team - which should improve depth and overall athletic ability.
Team concerns: There remains a lot of youth and inexperience behind the starters.
"Our backups just don't have the amount of playing time as some of the teams we have to play," Grabowski said. "A lot of our guys are still sophomores, and even the juniors are only second-year guys in the program."
Breakout candidates: Miles is a sophomore with great hands who spent a lot of time in the weightroom to get stronger and faster and should develop into a great target in the Cougars' pass-happy offense. Similarly, Jabaley, who was recruited from the basketball team, should give the team another athletic weapon.
Season outlook: Last year was an adjustment period as Grabowski not only got a late start after taking over but also installed a completely new offensive and defensive philosophy.
"It's a 180-degree change," Grabowski said. "It took the kids a while to adjust because it was so different from what they were used to. It's been a big culture change with a lot of ups and downs trying to find where we were on both sides of the ball. Now we've found our identity, and the guys like not playing in such a tight box.
"Now it's just a matter of being more consistent. We got stronger. We're where we need to be, but we need to get better every day on the practice field and learn from our mistakes."