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Haven’t had time to read much, but sounds like he was very highly touted out of HS, signing with OSU. Played 5 games as a sophomore, then transferred and spent last year or two with SMU. No idea what he did there, but from a talent standpoint, could be our top DE.

The secondary should be the strength of the defense in 2026. Despite losing DeWalt to the NFL and Reed to a power program, there is still plenty of potential and experience returning. Safety: Former Oregon transfer D. David is back for another go-round and will attempt to finally make it through a full season healthy. If he does, he should lock down one of the starting safety spots. Flanking him will likely be former Penn State transfer M. Flowers, who showed flashes last season and should benefit from another year in the system. Backing them up are J. Somerville and R. Hunter, both of whom have enough experience and will likely rotate in regularly. T. Davis may also be ready to push for significant snaps. Overall, this is a group that should be able to build on last year’s performance. Nickleback: Both Branches return at nickel, which is a positive for this defense. AL. Branch started most of the games last season, but by the end of 2025 I actually thought AI. Branch was the better overall player. Both bring experience and versatility to the position, and that continuity should help stabilize the secondary. I also expect Miami (OH) transfer K. Moss to eventually settle into this role, although that may still be a year or two away depending on how quickly he develops and adjusts to the system. Cornerback: White started the first game of 2025 and promptly went down with a season-ending injury just several plays in. Assuming White is healthy, he should lock down one starting CB spot. T. Thomas (former Purdue signee) has been around the program for quite a while now and emerged as the top backup by the end of 2025. He’ll likely slide into the starting role opposite White. Behind them, there are several intriguing options among the defensive back transfers listed below, and that group should create solid competition. Incoming Defensive Backs: Old Dominion transfer Z. Hobson has great height, length, and speed for the position. However, in the game I watched of him at West Virginia State (DII), he struggled in run support, and I have to wonder if that played a role in keeping him off the field at Old Dominion this past season. Hobson only has one year of eligibility remaining, so he’ll need to quickly shore up the weaker parts of his game if he wants to become a regular contributor as a Zip. Mizzou transfer S. McNeil is the definition of a player who hasn’t played up to his potential. He’ll be a redshirt junior with two seasons left to prove why he was once considered a top-100 cornerback recruit coming out of high school. The physical tools are clearly there, it’s just a matter of putting everything together consistently at the college level. Holy Cross transfer C. Newsome has good speed and tracks the ball well in the air. His tackling could still use some improvement, though that will probably come with added mass and time in the program. Newsome is also a willing special teams player, which should help his chances of working his way onto the two-deep during his first season at Akron. Redshirt freshman D. Galloway may end up being one of the bigger pickups in this class. He was an explosive player on both sides of the ball in high school and has really impressive upside. Galloway originally committed to West Virginia and now enters this season as a redshirt freshman. Honestly, this is the type of player I’m still not totally sure how the staff managed to land given the financial restraints of today’s NIL era. Redshirt freshman K. Moss was lightly recruited out of high school before ending up at Miami (OH). He’s another guy that shouldn’t be overlooked because he may quietly develop into a really solid player. Moss actually reminds me quite a bit of former Zips DB Darrian Lewis. The Freshmen: H. Perrymond is an explosive athlete who played both ways in high school. My guess is his size — similar to Patrick and Mason — is what ultimately landed him with the Zips. He’s a cornerback that I expect to see the field sooner rather than later, and honestly, he’ll probably be a tough one for Akron to hang onto for all four years if he develops the way I think he can. Perrymond was listed on the spring roster, which should give him a head start. S. Lewis is another freshman who played both ways in high school. To me, he doesn’t look quite as explosive as Perrymond, though that’s not really a knock on Lewis. He actually reminds me a lot of C. White coming out of high school and appears to have excellent hands. Lewis will need to add some mass before he’s ready to contribute consistently at this level. He did not participate in spring ball. Anyone else? Former JUCO and Cincinnati signee I. Jarmon returns for his final season, and K. Johnson is back as well. Both possess the physical traits to contribute, but neither have done so in an impactful way to this point. What to make of this? There’s probably more overall talent in this year’s secondary than in any previous season under this staff. I’m not saying this is an elite secondary, but on paper, this group has a chance to be one of the better units Akron has fielded in quite some time. Of course, secondary play is still heavily tied to what happens up front. If the pass rush can’t consistently affect the quarterback or gaps are being filled incorrectly by other positions, that can easily skew how this unit’s play is perceived. Still, there’s a good blend of experience, athleticism, and upside here. The staff also finally appears to have accumulated enough legitimate depth to withstand a few injuries without a major drop-off in production. At this point, I doubt any more players will be added to the secondary. Returning: CB - Jarmon (Gr.) CB - T. Thomas (Sr.) CB - White (R. Jr.) CB - K. Johnson (R. So.) S - David (Gr.) S - Flowers (R. Sr.) S - Somerville (R. Jr.) S - Hunter (R. So.) S - T. Davis (So.) NB - AL. Branch (Gr.) NB - AI. Branch (Jr.) In: CB - Hobson (R.Sr.) = Old Dominion CB - McNeil (R. Jr.) = Missouri CB - Newsome (Jr.) = Holy Cross CB - Galloway (R. Fr.) = West Virginia CB - Lewis (Fr.) CB - Perrymond (Fr.) S - Moss (R. Fr.) = Miami (OH) Out: CB - Kamara = North Dakota CB - Reed = Utah CB - DeWalt = Graduation S - Anderson = Graduation S - D. Johnson = Graduation S - Stepney = Graduation

Outstanding game ladies! They never gave up battling to the very end. That grand slam walk-off homer has to be one of the greatest moments in Zip softball history. Hope the stadium is filled tomorrow with rabid Zip fans.

The basketball staff was at the women's softball game today. Nice to see them do something like that.

Zips win on a walkoff Grand Slam in the bottom of the 7th. Zips were down 2 with 2 outs before the cleanup hitter hit a no doubter. Awesome

Awesome that the guys were watching like that and had that sort of reaction. I have to admit I was thinking well they can still win it but it's just going to be a lot tougher. They had so many tough breaks today and still managed to come back and win it. This is a heck of a team.

And one inning earlier the player who hit it, Lily Sullivan, was robbed of a two-run homer when the WMU outfielder reached over the fence and pulled it back.

Walk off sacrifice fly yesterday to beat Ohio and a 2 out walk off grand slam to advance to the Championship round with a 1-game advantage. Amazing stuff.

Wow what a finish for the zips! That’s what happens when you leave the starter out there for 128 pitches I guess

Akron will get two chances to win the MAC title because of double elimination. Let's hope we they can finish it off!

Updated bracket.

He was good enough to recruit Connor!

Initial Outlook: This is a unit that lost essentially all of its production to graduation and the portal. Cooper, Summers, Spriggs, and Boswell played just about every meaningful snap in 2025, so now it’s an entirely new cast being asked to fill the shoes of what had been steady linebacker play heading into 2026. Previously, I felt comfortable that linebacker would be in good shape no matter who was playing (due to coach Tibesar). However, that’s no longer where I’m at with the current situation. There are legitimate concerns going into the season due to a lack of FBS experience of every linebacker on the roster. None of the transfers really jump out as all-conference types, and losing Spriggs to the portal feels like a bigger deal at this point. There’s also just the reality that this group may need some time. Multiple players are being asked to adjust to FBS speed at once, and that usually doesn’t come together right away. It wouldn’t be surprising if it takes a few games before things start to settle in and linebacker play improves. Who are the newcomers? I don’t want to make it sound like there is no talent on the roster - because there is. Nunoo is a transfer from FIU who doesn’t seem to stand out in any one area, but should be able to adequately fill in at both linebacker spots. Jones is built more like a true MIKE and can come downhill in a hurry. He covers ground quickly sideline to sideline and shows a nice burst. In the game I watched, though, he had some issues in coverage as balls kept getting dropped in over him. So that’s clearly an area that needs to improve. Smith looks a bit undersized on film, but he moves well and, like Summers, just seems to find his way to the ball. He wasn’t on campus this spring, but with his JUCO degree already in hand, I’d expect him to arrive this summer. These three should take up the bulk of snaps early in the season. What about the returners? I’m still very high on the potential of Hocker, James, and Reeves. The question is when they’ll be ready to consistently contribute. The talent is clearly there, but it’s a matter of when it starts translating on a week-to-week basis at this level. Their time can’t come soon enough. One freshman: Curtis has been added to the mix, and like the three young linebackers just mentioned, also has plenty of upside and should be a good one down the road. Any other linebackers? As mentioned in the DL column, Duncan may now be playing linebacker. I haven’t seen any film of him at the position, nor did I see him in the spring, so I can’t really comment on what he’ll bring to the table just yet. My assumption is either the staff likes him enough and believes he can help us there, or the overall play at linebacker hasn’t quite been where it needs to be and Duncan is getting a look as a result. I’m hoping it’s the former. What’s next? Coach Moorhead said there are still three scholarships available so I wouldn't rule out another linebacker being added if the staff doesn’t feel great about things going into fall camp. Projected Depth Chart: MLB: Jones Hocker WLB: Nunoo Smith Returners: Hocker (R. So.) James (R. Fr.) Reeves (R. Fr.) In: Nunoo (R. Sr.) (Florida International) Jones (Jr.) (JUCO) Smith (Jr.) (JUCO) Curtis (Fr.) Out: Benenge = Albany Boswell = Texas Spriggs = Southern Miss Cooper = Graduation Summers = Graduation

@catdaddyp we really do appreciate your taking the time and effort to provide these kinds of detailed updates. Makes it feel like we're a bigger program than we are. 😊

Wish UA sold jerseys..... Even if that's fake it looks pretty good.

Came across this on ebay and bought immediately. Probably fake but I'll always have it to remember his game winner!

Starting with the 2026 Spring Roster; I will update as I learn of recruits and transfers in or out. Goal Keepers Gavin Crain Brett Kaminski Lincoln McCarty Kael Taylor (Recruit) Defenders Idahir (Ricky) Deanda Freddy Kossehasse Logan LaMaina Nolan McGuire Johan N'Ganzadi Ndumbi Matthew Paiva Jamai Royer (transfer to Omaha University per IG) Kam Warnke Calan DeWalt (Recruit) Giannis Gazis (Recruit) Austin Thum (Recruit) MidFielders Joshua Bartels Matt Dreas Braxton Hayes Leo Morana Tyler Morck Thomas O’Rourke Jack Roman Londen Sears Jack Sullivan Noa Testa Cole Perez (Recruit) Forwards Remi Agunbiade Ignacio Alem Aiden Benitez Angel Lopez Martin Farrel Ngongang

Since joining the MAC, LCJ is the only guard who scored more points in a Zips uniform than Tavari. TJ is also 4th all-time in assists. Part of three MAC Champions, and last year doesn't happen if he follows Nate in the portal. I agree his last game was disappointing, but he had a major impact as a Zip.

My primary concern is that the majority of the roster was somewhere else last year. Two of the reasons we have been so successful are player development and a winning culture passed down from class to class. Freeman to Lyles. Castaneda to Tribble to Johnson. We don't really have any of that going into next year. The other thing we just don't know is how these guys will play in big games. I think we'll be OK, because I think every other MAC team took a step back and are dealing with the same issues. But I think it takes some blue and gold colored glasses to believe we'll be better than any of the previous three years. I'd love to be wrong, though.

Also found at the Whitney plantation in New Orleans. Sojourner Truth spoke in Akron in 1851. Akron is everywhere.