catdaddyp
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Posts posted by catdaddyp
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2024 Rewind:
Jim McElwain retired after leading the Chips to a 4-8 record at the conclusion of his sixth season in Mt. Pleasant. It was a year full of injuries and frustration for CMU.
Matt Drinkall, the former Army offensive line coach, has been tasked with turning the ship around in Mt. Pleasant. He inherits a program that’s lost some of its edge in recent years.
Recruiting under Drinkall:
2025:
On3 - 11th in MAC
247 - 9th in MAC
Chips on Offense:
CMU will look different offensively, and it’s likely some of the starters will routinely change as Drinkall works to find the right fits for his new scheme.
Joe Labas is expected to start again, though he didn’t show much in limited spring game action. Labas threw for 1,114 yards with 7 touchdowns and 7 interceptions on 59% passing last season before going down with an injury. Behind him is Jayden Glasser, who I thought was the best prep quarterback prospect in the MAC from the 2024 class.
Running back is up for grabs, as CMU returns very little production at the position. Defensive back turned running back Nahree Biggins will compete with Tulane transfer Trey Cornist for early snaps as the staff looks to sort out the backfield.
Wide receiver is wide open as well, with no returning player logging more than 25 receiving yards a year ago. That said, Langston Lewis and Tommy McIntosh look like the most likely starters heading into the season. Decorian Temple will reprise his role at tight end, though he’s rarely been involved in the passing game to this point.
The Chips return just one full-time starter and another part-time starter up front—which might not be the worst thing for a unit Drinkall will demand more from. CMU’s offensive line graded out in the bottom tier of the MAC last season, per PFF, and will need to take a big step forward for the offense to find any kind of rhythm.
Chips on Defense:
It remains to be seen what scheme Drinkall ultimately decides to go with, but CMU does return both starting ends from last year’s three-man base front in Michael Heldman and Kade Kostus. The duo combined for 52 total tackles and 5.5 sacks and should provide some stability up front. Nose tackle is a different story—options there are limited to players who saw fewer than 70 snaps or none at all at the G5 level.
Linebacker will be a strength of the defense, led by All-MAC Second Team selection Jordan Kwiatkowski. He’s the clear anchor of the group and will likely be joined by former backups Dakota Cochran and Fernando Sanchez, who now step into larger roles.
The secondary returns plenty of production, including both starting safeties in Caleb Spann and Elijah Rikkard. Starting cornerback Jaion Jackson is also back, giving the unit a solid foundation. Backups Aakeem Snell and Brenden Deasfernandes figure to round out the starting group, at least early on.
The Chips will role out new specialists in kicker Cade Graham and left footed punter Declan Duley.
Position Advantage:
Outside of offensive line, Akron should hold a clear advantage across the board on offense. Defense is a different story—CMU holds the edge on that side of the ball, particularly in the front seven.
QB - Akron
RB - Akron
WR - Akron
TE - Akron
OL - Even
DL - CMU
LB - CMU
DB - CMU
ST - Even
Way too Early Prediction:
CMU reminds me of the Buffalo situation last year—except the Chips have less overall talent. For CMU to win games, they’ll need to lean heavily on the run game, limit turnovers, and squeeze every bit of production they can out of this roster.
Defensively, there’s reason for optimism. With a good chunk of production returning, CMU has a shot to be solid on that side of the ball. If the defense can keep games within reach, the Chips should at least be able to stay competitive in the MAC.
The last time CMU visited Akron, the Zips were marching for a game‑winning drive when the quarterback and running back botched the mesh point—each thinking the other had the ball. A CMU lineman scooped it up and lumbered 60 plus yards to the end zone, untouched, with no Zip in position to catch him. That won’t be the case this season. Akron should be able to exploit a coach in his first year of MAC play still finding his footing and a CMU roster that doesn’t boast overwhelming talent in 2025. Most media are higher on CMU than I am this season. I’m calling a Zips win, 21-17.
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2024 Rewind:
Toledo was a bit of an enigma in 2024. The Rockets arguably had the most talent of any team in the MAC and a favorable schedule that could have positioned them for a College Football Playoff push. Instead, they stumbled to a 8-5 finish with puzzling losses to WKU, Buffalo, Bowling Green, Ohio, and Akron. They did manage to finish on a high note with a wild six-overtime bowl win over a depleted Pittsburgh squad.
Jason Candle returns for his 10th season and remains one of the most respected coaches in the MAC. Toledo continues to sit near the top of the conference when it comes to institutional support and resources dedicated to football.
Recruiting under Candle:
*IN MAC*
2016:
On3 - 3rd
247 - 2nd
2017:
On3 - 1st
247 - 1st
2018:
On3 - 1st
247 - 1st
2019:
On3 - 1st
247 - 1st
2020:
On3 - 1st
247 - 1st
2021:
On3 - 1st
247 - 1st
2022:
On3 - 6th
247 - 6th
2023:
On3 - 5th
247 - 5th
2024:
On3 - 1st
247 - 1st
2025:
On3 - 1st
247 - 1st
Rockets on Offense:
Tucker Gleason is expected to be the starter again after putting up 2,793 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions while completing 60.5% of his passes last season. While those numbers are solid, Gleason's inconsistency at times was a source of frustration for the fanbase—and, as is often the case, there was a vocal segment calling for backup John Alan Richter to get more reps. Richter may be the more polished passer, but Gleason brings added mobility to the position, which gives the offense a different dimension.
Running back play wasn’t up to par in 2024, due in large part to injuries and the departure of Peny Boone via the transfer portal. Unlike in 2023—when the Rockets could wear teams down with a bruising ground game led by Boone and the dual-threat ability of DeQuan Finn—Toledo lacked that same punch last fall. To address the issue, the Rockets dipped into the portal and added Kentucky transfer Chip Trayanum and NC A&T transfer Kenji Christian. Both backs bring more explosiveness than what was mostly available a year ago and should help reestablish a more dynamic rushing attack.
All-MAC First Team selection Jerjuan Newton is off to the NFL, and while his production will be missed, the Rockets appear to have enough firepower to fill the void collectively. Junior Vandeross, another All-MAC First Teamer, returns as the go-to option, and Toledo added a proven playmaker in NIU transfer Trayvon Rudolph. The receiving corps also gets a boost at tight end with the addition of Jacob Peterson, who posted nearly 500 receiving yards at Holy Cross last season.
An offensive line that was strong in pass protection, but often struggled to open holes in the run game returns three of its starters. Pittsburgh transfer Terence Moore is expected to step in at one of the vacant interior OL spots, while part-time starter Stephen Gales will look to lock down a starting role at tackle.
Rockets on Defense:
The defensive line lost all four starters, leaving the door wide open for new faces to step in and claim significant snaps. On the interior, there’s a bit more stability with the return of Martex Poynter and Essam Carter—two backups from last season who saw meaningful action and combined for 46 total tackles and 4.5 sacks. On the edges, former backup Malachi Davis is expected to take on a larger role, while UMASS transfer Louce Julian should slot in opposite him as a projected starter.
Linebacker took a major hit, with the Rockets losing almost all of their production from last season. Backups Damon Ollison and Chris D’Appolonia are expected to step into starting roles after combining for just 20 total tackles in 2024. There’s plenty of potential - and uncertainty - at the position, and how quickly they adjust to increased responsibilities could go a long way in determining the defense’s overall effectiveness.
Toledo’s secondary went from elite in 2023 to very good in 2024 after losing some standout defensive backs and their secondary coach, who left for Illinois. Even so, the Rockets still have plenty of talent on the backend and should be strong again this season with almost all of their starters returning. When it comes to recruiting defensive backs, Toledo has been second to none in the MAC, and that pipeline continues to pay dividends.
Zips fans are familiar with returning kicker Dylan Cunanan, who was excellent during much of the season. Starting punter Emilio Duran is also back, giving Toledo stability in the kicking game heading into 2025.
Position Advantage:
Both quarterbacks are pre-season All-MAC selections. Neither team has many running backs that have proven much at the G5 level and linebacker is still to be determined. Akron holds the advantage at tight end, whereas Toledo holds position advantages every where else.
QB - Even
RB - Even
WR - Toledo
TE - Akron
OL - Toledo
DL - Toledo
LB - Even
DB - Toledo
ST - Toledo
Way too Early Prediction:
Toledo’s ground game ought to be much improved, and if that proves true, the Rockets will look a lot more like the 2023 squad than the inconsistent version we saw in 2024.
Defensively, Toledo lost plenty of production and key contributors, but there’s still enough talent on the roster to remain one of the better units in the MAC.
There’s always a vocal group of Toledo fans who view every loss as the Rockets simply underperforming—rarely giving much credit to the opponent. In the case of last year’s Akron/Toledo matchup, that group would mostly be right. Akron played well enough to win, but absolutely needed some help from Toledo to pull it out. It’ll be tough for Akron to catch the Rockets off guard again, especially with the game coming earlier in the season, at Toledo, and last year’s result still lingering. I say Rockets get their revenge, 31-17.
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2024 Rewind:
Duquesne went 8-3 last season, co-winning the NEC (FCS) championship. Their only losses came against Toledo, Boston College, and their season finale to Central Connecticut State. They’re led by Jerry Schmitt, who’s been at the helm since 2005.
Recruiting under Schmitt:
N/A for FCS schools.
Dukes on Offense:
The Dukes will break in a new quarterback following the graduation of Darius Perrantes, with several different players currently in the mix for the starting job.
In the backfield, Taj Butts and Shawn Solomon are expected to split carries after the spring departure of All-NEC running back JaMario Clements to Wake Forest. The duo combined for 531 yards and two touchdowns last season.
Joey Isabella returns as the clear top target in the passing game after an All-NEC campaign that saw him haul in 41 receptions for 741 yards and 11 scores. Beyond Isabella, though, there’s not much proven production at wide receiver. Tight end Daniel Tarabrella is penciled in as the starter, but he’s primarily used as an extra blocker.
Up front, the offensive line should be a strength. All five starters are back, including All-NEC selections Brian Beidatsch, Michael Fallah, and Cameron McLaurin.
Dukes on Defense:
Almost all of Duquesne’s defensive line production returns, highlighted by All-NEC performers A.J. Ackerman at defensive tackle and Jack Dunkley at defensive end. The pair combined for 45 total tackles and 10 sacks in 2024 and should anchor a strong front.
Linebacker is where the biggest changes come. Former Kent State transfer Luke Miller saw part-time action last season and is expected to step into a full-time role. The other spot is still up for grabs between Murray State transfer Tyson Meiguez and Maine transfer Jabari Odoemenem.
The secondary should again be a strength. All-NEC defensive backs Antonio Epps and DJ Cerisier return, with Epps holding down one safety spot and Cerisier locking up one of the corners. TJ Jones is back at the other safety spot, while part-time starter Jaelen Carson is expected to fill in at the corner opposite Cerisier. 2024 backup Malachi Lowery should slide into the nickel role.
The Dukes will roll out a new starting kicker and punter this season.
Position Advantage:
Akron holds a talent and experience advantage across the board—except at the lines of scrimmage, defensive back, and special teams. That said, by the time Week 4 rolls around, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Zips prove to be better in all of those areas as well.
QB - Akron
RB - Akron
WR - Akron
TE - Akron
OL - Duquesne
DL - Duquesne
LB - Akron
DB - Even
ST - Even
Way too Early Prediction:
It’ll be a nice reprieve to see a matchup against an FCS school at this point in the season instead of a power conference opponent. That said, Duquesne has consistently won games at the FCS level and could present more of a challenge than expected.
Offensively, the Dukes likely won’t be as potent as they were in 2024. Replacing a highly productive starting quarterback, an All-NEC running back, and multiple receivers is no small task. The silver lining for them is the return of their entire offensive line—arguably one of the better units in the FCS—which should provide some stability while the skill positions get sorted out.
Defensively, while Duquesne may not match Akron's overall talent level, they bring back a ton of experience. That continuity makes them a tougher out than most expect from an FCS squad.
Going through Duquesne’s roster was actually refreshing—a reminder that not every program has been gutted by the portal. They’ve stuck with a more traditional model, building through prep prospects and only sprinkling in a few transfers. Still, I don’t think the Dukes have enough in the tank to knock off Akron unless the Zips completely lay an egg. I expect a competitive first half before Akron’s depth and talent start to take over. Give me the Zips, 31–20.
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2024 Rewind:
The Blazers took a step back in Trent Dilfer’s second season. After winning four games in year one, UAB only managed three wins in year two. Those three wins came convincingly over Alcorn State, Tulsa, and Rice—two of which have new head coaches in 2025. All of UAB’s losses came in convincing fashion, with the exception of a two-point loss to Charlotte. Coincidentally, Charlotte also has a new head coach this season.
Recruiting under Dilfer:
2023:
On3 - 9th in AAC
247 - 10th in AAC
2024:
On3 - 11th in AAC
247 - 9th in AAC
2025:
On3 - 13th in AAC
247 - 11th in AAC
Blazers on Offense:
Former Florida quarterback Jalen Kitna is back for his second season in Dilfer’s offense. The redshirt senior threw for 2,209 yards, 17 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and completed 62% of his passes in 2024. Kitna is considered one of the top quarterbacks in the AAC, with most publications including him in their preseason All-AAC selections.
UTEP transfer Jevon Jackson is expected to start at running back. Jackson was an FCS All-American before transferring to UTEP, where he rushed for 754 yards and 4 touchdowns. He’ll split snaps with returning senior Isaiah Jacobs.
Redshirt sophomore Corri Milliner is UAB’s most productive returning receiver. Milliner posted 24 receptions for 416 yards and 3 touchdowns last season. Former consensus 4-star Kaleb Brown transferred in from Iowa (originally committed to Ohio State) and will attempt to live up to his potential, while the tight end position will be littered with new faces and minimal experience.
Quarterback Jalen Kitna will be playing behind a less experienced offensive line that gave up 33 sacks last season. However, two of the returning starters are dependable—center Brady Wilson and former South Carolina tackle JonDarius Morgan. New starting guards Calib Perez and Barry Walker combined to play just 86 snaps as backups. Former Wagner offensive tackle Brandon Sneh is expected to start after spending the spring at Kansas State before transferring a second time to UAB.
Blazers on Defense:
The Blazers’ pass rush in 2024 was on par with Akron’s, to give a general idea of their effectiveness. UAB’s run defense was horrendous, and they struggled to stop most teams from scoring. Supposedly, the bulk of their NIL funds went toward upgrading the defensive line, and they’ve added five transfers. Three of the four projected starters will be newcomers—Old Dominion transfer Amorie Morrison, Boston College transfer Nigel Tate, and Sam Houston transfer Denver Warren (who originally committed to Bowling Green out of high school). A returner that is expected to start is former backup James Smyre, who collected 9 total tackles and 2 sacks last season.
UAB lost nearly all of its production at linebacker and have turned to the portal for replacements. Eli Ennis will be one starter and he was an FCS All-American at Nicholls. The other starting linebacker will be Idaho State transfer Calvin Pitcher.
The Blazers’ secondary didn’t allow many yards per game, but that was partially because most opponents were able to run the ball at will. Regardless, UAB brought in five portal defensive backs this cycle and returns just one starter—safety Sirad Bryant. Bryant collected 59 total tackles and one interception. Not overly impressive numbers, but PFF graded him well in pass coverage. Backup safety AJ Brown will move into a starting role, and backup cornerback Donald Lee will also step into a starting spot. Pittsburgh transfer Tamarion Crumpley is expected to start opposite Lee, while Maryland transfer Perry Fisher is slated to start at the “star” position.
Kicker Jonah DeLange and punter Patrick Foley are back. The duo had a strong year and so did the rest of UAB’s special teams. They should be solid again.
Position Advantage:
The positions turned out to be closer than I expected upon a deeper dive. I think Akron holds a distinct advantage at wide receiver and tight end, and a small advantage at defensive back. The rest of the rosters are either up for debate or have so many question marks at this point that it’s hard to call.
QB - Even
RB - Even
WR - Akron
TE - Akron
OL - Even
DL - Even
LB - Even
DB - Akron
ST - UAB
Way too Early Prediction:
There’s a strong possibility this will be Dilfer’s last season at UAB. It’s hard to fathom this Blazers squad pulling out more than 3–4 wins again.
Akron should be able to move the ball fairly proficiently against an almost completely rebuilt UAB defense. This would be a good time for Moorhead to become stubborn and run the football. We usually don’t run enough—to my liking at least—until later in the season.
I don’t expect the UAB offensive line to be any better than it was last year. If we can’t get a decent amount of pressure on the quarterback in this game, I’ll be worried about what the rest of the season has in store. Kitna is going to get his stats no matter what, but we can’t make it easy on him.
I imagine both fanbases have this one circled on their calendars as wins. This is a game we absolutely must win to show progress going into year four of this regime. I think the Zips get it done 24-21, and we finally get an out-of-conference road win in the Moorhead era.
Game Day Notes:
Kitna has already thrown for 551 yards while completing 72% of his passes. However, he’s shown to be mistake-prone under pressure, tossing two interceptions so far.
The Blazers will rotate at running back with UTEP transfer Jackson and top backup Beebe handling most of the workload. Jackson is a dangerous runner who can break one at any time, while Beebe is just as likely to catch a pass as he is to carry the ball.
Milliner is UAB’s most explosive wideout, and Hooks has been Kitna’s second-favorite target.
UAB has stuck with the same five starters through both games, not rotating a single lineman. It’s a rebuilt OL and they’ve surprisingly been a strong unit so far—giving up only one sack and 6 pressures. Going left to right:
Sneh - 6’5”315 (Kansas State)
Perez - 6’5” 315 (Duke)
Lepkowski - 6’3” 300
Morgan - 6’4”320 (South Carolina)
Moore - 6’8” 290
The Blazers’ defense has struggled to stop anyone this season, but a few players have stood out with consistent play. Interestingly, both starting defensive tackles—Smalls and Sam Houston transfer Warren—have been really good. At linebacker, Rhode Island transfer Hightower has been effective, while in the secondary Boston College transfer safety Cheek and Pittsburgh transfer cornerback Crumpley have been the top performers.
UAB has only punted once this season—a 39-yarder downed inside the twenty. All extra points have been converted, and field goals are 2-for-3, with the lone miss coming from the 30–39 yard range. The two makes, however, have both been from beyond 40 yards.
During Dilfer’s press conference, a reporter referred to this as a “get right game” for UAB. Dilfer laughed and said the Blazers are usually the get right game for their opponents, adding that he hopes Akron’s offense doesn’t get going this weekend.
Some notes about the Zips:
JUCO transfer right tackle Maasai King has graded out really well through the first two games, especially in pass protection according to PFF. Next is right guard Keylen Davis, who has been solid but noticeably stronger in run blocking.
Keep an eye on JUCO transfer defensive tackle Nehemiah Musika in goal line situations. He was also mentioned on the Zips Weekly show. Musika was a commitment I really liked, though I wasn’t quite sure how we managed to land him. He supposedly isn’t as tall as listed and is still working into shape after being a late arrival due to coursework. Once Musika is able to play more regularly, he should give us a strong rotation with Laventure and Hull at DT—barring injury.
Former Illinois transfer Shammond Cooper has been playing at a high level and also leads the team in tackles with 19 total.
I’ve mentioned this a few times already, but DeWalt and Reed have really stepped up at cornerback. Reed in particular has been impressive—allowing just 19 yards on four receptions while being targeted 10 times. They’ll need another strong outing today if we’re going to have a chance at slowing down UAB’s offense.
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2024 Rewind:
Nebraska finished 7–6 after starting the season 5–1. Their wins came against UTEP, Colorado, Northern Iowa, Purdue, Rutgers, Wisconsin, and Boston College in the bowl game. Four of Nebraska’s losses came by seven points or less. Matt Rhule is now in his third season guiding the Huskers, and at his previous stops—Temple and Baylor—year three was when his teams made the leap into the upper tier of their respective conferences. The same could easily be true this season, as Nebraska appears to have a manageable schedule.
Recruiting under Rhule:
2023:
On3 - 5th in Big Ten
247 - 5th in Big Ten
2024:
On3 - 7th in Big Ten
247 - 6th in Big Ten
2025:
On3 - 6th in Big Ten
247 - 6th in Big Ten
Huskers on Offense:
Dylan Raiola is a name known across the college football landscape thanks to last year’s NIL hoopla. The true sophomore completed 67% of his passes for 2,819 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 2024. He’s the undisputed starter for Nebraska.
Emmett Johnson returns at running back after racking up 607 yards and 9 touchdowns on the ground. He also added value in the passing game with 39 receptions for 289 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Despite losing two starting wide receivers and an NFL-drafted tight end, Nebraska should be substantially improved in the passing game with the additions of Kentucky’s Dane Key and Cal’s Nyziah Hunter. Those two bring the kind of playmaking ability the Cornhusker offense lacked last year.
Nebraska should be improved along the offensive line with the additions of Notre Dame transfer Rocco Spindler and Alabama transfer Elijah Pritchett. Mainstays Justin Evans, Henry Lutovsky, and Gunnar Gottula also return, giving the Cornhuskers plenty of experience up front.
Huskers on Defense:
Nebraska lost their defensive coordinator and most of their production along the defensive line. Matt Rhule has said he’d like to keep the 3-3-5 in place, so it remains to be seen what the Cornhuskers ultimately settle on.
Sophomore Vincent Shavers and senior Javin Wright step into starting roles at linebacker after the duo combined for 59 total tackles as backups in 2024.
In the secondary, Malcolm Hartzog returns at nickel after collecting 45 total tackles and 4 interceptions. Ceyair Wright is back at one cornerback spot after recording 39 total tackles and 2 interceptions, while Idaho transfer Andrew Marshall is expected to fill the opposite corner. DeShon Singleton reprises his role at one safety following up a solid season that included 71 total tackles. The other safety spot will be filled by former backup Marques Buford.
Nebraska struggled on special teams last year. Sophomore John Hohl is back at kicker after connecting on 67% of his field goal attempts, and freshman Archie Wilson will likely handle punting duties.
Position Advantage:
Nebraska holds the edge in almost every category. The Zips’ proven production at tight end gives Akron the advantage there, and with Nebraska being one of the poorest performing special teams units in 2024, I’m giving Akron the edge in that phase as well.
QB - Nebraska
RB - Nebraska
WR - Nebraska
TE - Akron
OL - Nebraska
DL - Nebraska
LB - Nebraska
DB - Nebraska
ST - Akron
Way too Early Prediction:
Even though I expect Nebraska’s defense to be a bit worse than it was last year, they’re still going to be a formidable opponent for us. I also expect the Cornhusker offense to be substantially better than it was in 2024.
I don’t have much to say about this game—it’s the one payday on our schedule. Once again, we’re catching a Power Five opponent on its way up. My best hope is we get out injury free and hang close for a while. Final score prediction: 42–10 Cornhuskers.
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We’re approximately 8 weeks away from kick-off. I’ll do as many of these as I can, but keep in mind injuries—and yet another round of the portal—could change some of this information before the season starts.
2024 Rewind:
Wyoming finished 3-9 overall in Jay Sawvel’s first year as head coach. Their wins came against Air Force, New Mexico, and Washington State. The Cowboys dropped four games by four points or less, so the season could’ve looked a lot different if a few more of those close ones had broken their way.
Recruiting under Sawvel:
2024:
On3 - 6th in MWC
247 - 6th in MWC
2025:
On3 - 4th in MWC
247 - 5th in MWC
Cowboys on Offense:
Wyoming utilized two quarterbacks last season and neither was particularly stellar. The Cowboys often had to rely on their run game, but would prefer to have a more productive aerial attack to complement it. Sophomore Kaden Anderson returns and will start after throwing for 955 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions while completing 58% of his passes in 2024. Anderson took over for Quinn Ewers at Texas high school powerhouse Southlake Carroll and was also recruited by Bowling Green.
Leading rusher Sam Scott is back after collecting 435 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2024, but he’s not expected to start. North Texas grad transfer Damashja Harris is in line to take over. Harris has excellent size and speed at 6’4”, 224 pounds, but hasn’t produced at a high level as a running back just yet. He’s mostly made his name as a kick returner. If the Cowboys can unlock Harris’ potential in the backfield, they could be dangerous on the ground.
Despite not being overly impressive through the air, Wyoming returns most of its production at wide receiver and tight end. Receivers Jaylen Sargent and Chris Durr, along with tight end John Michael Gyllenborg, combined for 84 receptions, 1,253 yards, and 6 touchdowns in 2024.
Offensive line is where the Cowboys should be able to hang their hat in 2025. Caden Barnett and Jake Walsh are as good as almost any linemen in the MWC. Rex Johnsen and Wes King are two more returning starters. Sophomore Nathan Geiger is the only new face and will be expected to fill in at tackle after seeing action on offense in just one game last season.
Cowboys on Defense and Special Teams:
The defensive line went into 2024 with high expectations and didn’t come close to meeting them—whether it was stopping the run or getting after the quarterback. Defensive end Tyce Westland is the team’s best returning pass rusher after tallying 3 sacks and 41 total tackles last season. On the interior, Jayden Williams was a backup and will now slide into a starting role after posting 28 total tackles in 2024. Wyoming finds itself in a similar position to Akron, relying heavily on players with little to no experience at the G5 level.
Wyoming is known for having strong linebacker play in the MWC. However, this season will feature a redshirt freshman and two former lower level players manning the middle of the defense. Redshirt freshman Gary Rutherford had offers from Indiana and Washington State coming out of high school before settling on Wyoming. Brayden Johnson and Ethan Stuhlsatz transferred in from Oklahoma Baptist and Lindenwood, respectively.
The Cowboys will roll out almost an entirely new secondary in 2025. Illinois State transfer Desman Hearns is expected to take over at nickelback, while the cornerback group will be about as green as it gets. Redshirt freshmen Markie Grant and Tyrese Boss are competing with true freshman Tyson Deen for the starting spots. Part-time starter Andrew Johnson will step into a full-time role at one of the safety positions. His running mate is expected to be sophomore Jones Thomas, who saw action in just one game on defense last year.
Wyoming will feature new specialists with redshirt sophomore Erik Sandvik handling placekicking and JUCO Bart Edmiston taking over at punter.
Position Advantage:
When looking at who has the advantage at the individual positions, this game is about as even as it gets. On offense, Akron should have the better quarterback and skill players, while Wyoming holds a clear edge along the offensive line. Defensively, Wyoming actually returns some production—albeit limited—on the defensive line, whereas Akron has next to none. The two teams have similar linebacker play styles, and Wyoming’s almost complete lack of experience in the secondary gives Akron the advantage at defensive back. Special teams feature all new starters for both squads.
QB = Akron
RB = Even
WR = Akron
TE = Even
OL = Wyoming
DL = Wyoming
LB = Even
DB = Akron
ST = Even
Way too early Prediction:
While Wyoming is thankfully not Ohio State or any other power conference team, this matchup could still be viewed as a lose/lose scenario for the Zips. Win the game and college football nation yawns and acts like it’s no big deal beating a previously 3-9 MWC squad. Lose the game and the tiresome rhetoric about “same ole Akron” comes right back into play. Regardless, this is a winnable game—and one that Akron could desperately use as a confidence builder.
Probably the best MAC comparison to Wyoming from our 2024 schedule would be Western Michigan. As Zips fans may remember, that was a game we had in the bag and managed to completely blunder away.
Even though the first game of the season can get sloppy, I expect the Zips offense to be able to move the ball effectively against a fairly inexperienced Wyoming defense. Of course, moving the ball has rarely been an issue under Moorhead—it’s been finishing drives and scoring points where the problems have occurred. Akron’s defense will need to find a way to put pressure on Wyoming’s sophomore quarterback and limit the Cowboy offense from hitting on big plays, which a few of their guys definitely have the ability to create. If Wyoming gets ahead and is allowed to lean on their run game, it could be a long day for the Zips’ new-look defense.
I could easily see this game going in either direction, and despite both teams having several rebuilt positions, I’m sticking with the home team and saying 24-21 Zips.
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QB:
Finley
Johnson (TP)
- Finley is the starter barring injury. He hit his stride over the final four games of the season, throwing for 1,027 yards, 8 touchdowns, and just 1 interception during that stretch. If he can pick up where he left off, he’ll be All-MAC in 2025. Bullock left via the portal, with Syracuse transfer Michael Johnson stepping in as his replacement. True freshman Cibastian Broughton is dynamic and should find his way onto the field somewhere during his first year.
RB:
Gant (TP)
Patrick
- Tennessee State transfer Jordan Gant will split reps with redshirt freshman Sean Patrick. Both backs showed flashes in their limited spring game action. Colgate transfer Chris Gee and ULM transfer Taven Curry are built similarly—bigger backs by our standards—who can also catch the ball out of the backfield. They’re solid change-of-pace options. I think this year’s group has four guys who can legitimately contribute.
WR:
Mason
Walker
Adams
Hills (TP)
Polk
Davis
- I’m already a Kyan Mason fan and think he’s in line for a huge season. The redshirt freshman was explosive during the spring game and easily looked like our best receiver. It’ll be good to see Adams back on the field, even if he’s not quite the all-conference player he was a few seasons ago. Polk should build on the development we saw late last year. We might’ve lost our biggest playmaker in Norton, but I actually think this year’s group has more quality depth.
TE:
Newell
Cravaack
- I strongly believe we’ll have the best tight end duo in the MAC this year. Since they’ll be splitting snaps much of the time, it’s possible neither gets all-conference recognition, but both have the ability to produce at a high level. Redshirt freshman Khalil Witherspoon is one to watch in the coming seasons. He still needs to add some mass to be more effective as an in-line blocker, but he has all kinds of length and could develop into a weapon in the passing game.
LT:
D. Johnson (TP)
Shor
LG:
K. Davis
Archer (TP)
C
Morris
Fox
RG:
A. Jones (TP)
Lyons
RT:
J. Moore (TP)
Motley-Simmons (TP)
- The OL will play a major role in determining how potent this year’s offense is. We’ve got plenty of size, length, and athleticism up front—probably the most we’ve had as a unit during Moorhead’s tenure. That’s the good news. The bad news is we’re seriously lacking guys with experience at the G5 level. It might take some time to find the right combination before this group really clicks. This isn’t one of those positions you want to enter a season still figuring out. The talent is there—but how long will it take to gel?
DE:
Durham (TP)
Cheatom
DT:
Hull
Laventure (JUCO)
DT:
Murphy
Madden
DE:
Dall
J. Frazier
- From what I saw in the spring game, only Durham, Hull, and Dall look like they have spots locked down. Every other position on the depth chart feels wide open. With a new position coach and so many players moving on, this was the group I had the most concern about during the offseason. I like the film on some of the incoming transfers and JUCOs, but we won’t really know what we have until the season kicks off. Will we luck out and find another Nunnally-type on the DL, or will they end up more like the rest of our JUCO DL signees under Moorhead—rotational guys and backups? Our pass rush was anemic at times in 2024, and I’m not yet convinced it’ll be drastically better in 2025. I’d love to be proven wrong.
LB:
Summers
Benenge
LB:
Cooper
Spriggs
- The linebacking corps should be solid in 2025, even with the losses of McCoy and Fish. When given the opportunity, Summers showed he’s a tackling machine—just like he was in JUCO—and Cooper returns from injury. We definitely missed Cooper last year; he brings a pass-rushing element the other LBs don’t. Spriggs and Benenge should be ready for bigger roles after seeing snaps in 2024. Redshirt freshman Jason Hocker and true freshman Markus Boswell both passed the eye test in the spring game, despite not being allowed to tackle anyone.
CB:
Reed
DeWalt
CB:
Jarmon
Kamara (TP)
- From a length and athleticism standpoint, this should be the best cornerback group we’ve had. Reed started the WMU game and never gave the job back. DeWalt is an athletic specimen but needs to find more consistency. Jarmon and Kamara both looked good in the spring game, and redshirt sophomore Catrell White should be ready to contribute as well. If the front seven can generate a decent pass rush, this unit will produce in 2025.
NB:
Greenwood
A. Branch (TP)
S:
David
Flowers (TP)
S:
Anderson
Hunter
- I’m including nickelback with safety since there’s plenty of crossover in Tibesar’s scheme. The Lewis’ have moved on, leaving a production void in the secondary. Greenwood was a backup and will likely grab a starting spot. I expect Kent State transfer Alex Branch to push for playing time in the backfield as well. If David is healthy, he’ll probably reclaim a starting safety spot—he was lost for the season during the Rutgers game in 2024 and missed the 2025 spring game. Anderson held down the other safety spot and did a solid job. Penn State transfer Mahki Flowers, a former 4-star, could make some noise too. On paper, we seem to have enough depth this year, and with a new safeties coach in the mix, we’ll see how this group comes together.
K:
Wiley
Samaha (TP)
P:
Castle
B. Johnson (TP)
LS:
Dennis (TP)
Miner (TP)
- We lost all of our starting specialists after the season ended. That said, if the spring game is any indication, Wiley and Castle look ready to take over placekicking and punting duties, respectively. Michigan transfer Adam Samaha and NAIA transfer Brayden Johnson will be in the mix too.
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16 hours ago, ZippyDoo said:
can someone much smarter than me explain how they foresee this affecting Zips team?
I don’t think it affects us much—we usually carry around 100 guys on the roster anyway. I think we were under 110 this past season. But for schools running 125+, it’ll have an impact. They’ll eventually need to trim things down to 105, though it sounds like “grandfathering” will let them stick with higher numbers for a few more years.
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Another transfer window coming. And this whole “grandfathering” thing sounds like a mess with loop holes.-
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Zips opt in. Huge news! Although I have no idea where the money will be coming from.
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12 hours ago, catdaddyp said:
Football roster has been updated. Looks like everyone is accounted for except the incoming freshmen and JUCO DT Nehemiah Musika, who may just be enrolling later.
Also, it seems former UNC LB CJ Murphy has filled the open LB spot.
Terence Thomas has been added back to the roster as well. Assuming all the freshmen make it in, that’s 85 scholarships by my count.
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Football roster has been updated. Looks like everyone is accounted for except the incoming freshmen and JUCO DT Nehemiah Musika, who may just be enrolling later.
Also, it seems former UNC LB CJ Murphy has filled the open LB spot.
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1 hour ago, MarkWiley said:
Where can we read this?
Site is a little janky and there are always typos, but it’s usually an entertaining read. The magazine comes with online access.
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Not sure if anyone else has posted this, but here are a few nuggets from Phil Steele:
He’s projecting our most wins since 2017 despite the portal and graduation losses. That said, he has us ranked 10th in the MAC—an improvement from being tied for dead last in 2024. (For reference, we finished 8th last season with 3 MAC wins and 4 total.)
Coaching staff got a bump—he ranks them 5th in the conference, up from 8th a year ago.
He’s not buying into our OL, DL, DB, or ST units though. He’s pretty down across the board on those groups.
Preseason All-MAC selections:
QB: Ben Finley (4th Team)
WR: Alex Adams (2nd Team)
TE: Jake Newell (3rd Team)
LB: Gage Summers (3rd Team)
CB: Elijah Reed (4th Team)
My take:
As far as preseason All-MAC goes, I think it’s wishful thinking for Adams after what I saw in the spring game. He didn’t have the explosiveness he had a few years ago. Hopefully he will get some of it back by the time 2025 kicks off. I think it’s more likely Mason lands as an all conference WR.
I also think we’ll be fine at DB and on ST. I’m more concerned with our quality depth on the OL and DL. Hopefully we’ve done enough in the portal and through JUCO to shore up those groups so that injuries don’t drastically alter our performance when the backups have to step in.
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On 6/27/2025 at 12:54 PM, ZippyDoo said:
I'll save you the 39 minutes of misery of listening to the podcast. One picks 3 wins one picks 4 wins. Doom and gloom like A LOT of people on here. It's simple if you don't want to cheer the team on then. The team won more games last year and has improved. We have a lot of transfers and a good group of freshman coming in. Give them a chance before you start hating on them. I am pretty sure none of you applied for any of the coaching positions and none of you were offered any of the scholarship positions to get on the field and sacrifice your time and your body. Of course you all have answers from your couches and you all could do better, but how about trying something different and supporting them when nobody else is.
I appreciate their dedication to covering the MAC, but at the end of the day, those guys are really just fans who happened to graduate from MAC schools—so take their opinions with a grain of salt.
We should’ve won more under Moorhead. Just too many close losses. If we don’t come out of this year’s OOC slate at 3-1, I’m going to be disappointed.
The MAC is wide open, and we’re one of the few teams returning a starting quarterback. I don’t see us winning at Toledo or pulling off a home win over Miami—those programs look like they’ve reloaded pretty well—but outside of that, every conference game feels winnable.
I agree the freshman class is legit, and the portal additions seem to be solid. The 2023 and 2024 recruits should be ready to contribute now too. If Tibesar’s defense overachieves like it usually does when expectations are low and we can piece together a competent offensive line, it could be a fun ride this season.
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Just a heads up—I likely won’t be updating recruiting threads much anymore. On3 bought out Rivals and the transition kicks off in a few days. I’ve already stepped back from writing quite a bit, so the timing actually works out. I’ll still be around and talking ball as always, just won’t have much insider recruiting info going forward.
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Norton to Marshall. Assuming he qualifies….
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2 minutes ago, MDZip said:
Huh, looks like both things can be true at the same time.
I think he’s a new assistant position coach on the defensive side of the ball. The NFL does various coaching fellowships for college coaches during the offseason. Our former CBs coach did one a few years back as well.
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On 5/28/2025 at 8:35 AM, Captain Kangaroo said:
Team Captain with a 3.82 GPA. Need 20 more of him.
He may not be as athletically gifted as some of the other DL we have, but he has a relentless motor. I bet he sees the field simply because of that. Usually guys like that have a great work ethic.
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1 hour ago, 72 Roo said:
Marshall transfer after time at Central Michigan. Not sure we are getting a player with much commitment or persistence. At this point we need to be content with leftovers.
Best guess is he’s being brought in to play Nickel. He actually played well for CMU back in 2022 (excellent against the run and so/so against the pass), but his playing time’s taken a big dip since then.
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1 hour ago, Blue & Gold said:
Started almost every game at LT for N. Alabama last year. PFF graded him solidly as a pass protector.
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1 minute ago, blueandgold said:
I've always wondered who even monitors this kind of thing for compliance? Seems like it would be easy to just practice/meet as much as you want to.
Honestly, it should be pretty easy to work around. For instance, if it's just two hours a week, players could easily warm themselves up for 15 minutes without coaches on the field and then do a "voluntary" lift for another 15 minutes. Something along those lines. It really shouldn’t make much of a difference.
And if the APR ruling ends up going to court, all this back-and-forth is pointless anyway.
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On 5/11/2025 at 9:19 AM, egregiousbob said:
Can't compete for league title. Can't accept a bowl invite. What should the team goal be and how the hell does the HC motivate them? "Our goal is _______."
At least 6 games should be the goal. And he motivates them by having far more intel on the situation than the forum does.
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1 hour ago, GP1 said:
The one thing we have learned during the NIL era is the NCAA is easily defeatable in courts. Hire Thomas Mars to file a case against the NCAA. The case could argue the punishment prohibits a player from displaying their talents in a way that limits their freedom to promote themselves. It could come from a player who was meeting academic standards.
Yep, this will likely end up being a big hoopla about nothing. APR became an archaic measurement once courts ruled in favor of NIL and NCAA basically allowed unlimited transfers.
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Class of '25 Verbal Commits
in Akron Zips Football Recruiting
Posted
I believe they are walk-ons.