The University at Buffalo football team’s two-deep will be made official Friday, but Bulls coach Pete Lembo made it official Thursday night, after his team’s final preseason practice: C.J. Ogbonna will be the starting quarterback for the Bulls when they open the season Aug. 29 against Lafayette.
“It’s kind of news to me,” Ogbonna said, tongue-in-cheek, Thursday night. “But I kind of knew from preparation, and running with the ones all week. But it’s good news, good news to hear.
“I’m extremely ready. Coach (Dave) Patenaude (UB’s offensive coordinator) has instilled a lot of confidence in me, so that’s been really big.”
Buffalo Bulls quarterback CJ Ogbonna (10) throws a pass on the sideline during the University at Buffalo spring game on Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Joshua Bessex/Buffalo News)
Ogbonna beat out Gunnar Gray and Jack Shields for the starting job, and will fill the starting spot vacated by Cole Snyder, who transferred to Eastern Michigan in January, after two seasons at UB. Snyder, a Southwestern High graduate, threw for 5,139 yards – fifth all-time at UB – and 31 touchdowns in 2022 and ’23, but his role diminished in the second half of last season at UB.
Ogbonna becomes the starting quarterback in a newly installed offense under new head coach Pete Lembo and Patenaude, who was hired in January as UB’s offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.
“Any quarterback has got to be your leader on offense, and he’s got a wonderful personality and he is a first-class human being,” Lembo said. “It’s going to be, now, bringing that juice and bringing that fire and producing out there, and I’m confident he can do all those things.”
Ogbonna is a graduate transfer from Marietta, Ga., who joined the Bulls from Southeast Missouri State in January 2023 and was Snyder’s backup, until he rotated reps with Snyder in the second half of the 2023 season. Ogbonna was 8 for 21 passing for 87 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions in eight games last season.
“Last year, they had me running the ball all the time, but I want to show people that I can throw, too,” Ogbonna said earlier this month. “It’s getting more confident with my throw, that’s been the biggest thing. My strength still is running, and I can still run the ball, but that’s not the biggest thing I’m looking to do.”
This will be Ogbonna’s first opportunity to capitalize on being a starting quarterback in three years. Ogbonna was a starter at Southeast Missouri State in 2021, and threw for 1,521 yards and 12 touchdowns on 111 of 220 passing attempts, with eight interceptions in 11 games that season, but lost the starting job in 2022 to Paxton DeLaurent.
“The exciting thing is having all my teammates behind me. And it’s been a long journey, so finally, getting to start, it’s good, and having my teammates trusting me,” Ogbonna said.