2026 DB Preview

[catdaddyp]

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 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by catdaddyp