2026 MAC Media Days: Addressing Team Needs

With the 2026 MAC Media Days set to take place on July 22, in Detroit, Michigan, there are plenty of questions to be had. The conference is in an interesting place in regards to hierarchy within the Group of 6. Further, plenty of teams have questions as to how to approach their future. We’ll dive into the biggest questions and concerns for each program entering the 2026 season that should be addressed at the 2026 MAC Media Days.

2026 MAC Media Days: Addressing Team Needs

Western Michigan Broncos

Defense, defense, defense. 

Western Michigan had one of the better defensive units in the MAC last season and was a key factor to their successful 2025 campaign. However, what will we see from the defense heading into this season?

Their offense seems to have the pieces to pick up where they left off from last year. Yet, there are a lot of questions on the defensive side of the ball. MAC Defensive Player of the Year, Madame Tucker departs, along with their top three tacklers from last season. They also have to replace 37.5 sacks from last season as well. Where will they look to for defensive pressure? What names stand out? Will the defensive scheme remain the same under first year DC Greer Martini?

The secondary looks to be in decent shape heading into 2026, but what level of confidence does Martini have in his new DL and LB units and where are they going to find production?

These are the questions the program will need to answer at the media event ahead of their 2026 season.

Miami (OH) Redhawks

Quarterback Brett Gabbert gave Miami (OH) a consistent and reliable option from 2019 – 2025. However, last year was somewhat of a stopgap that included three different quarterbacks getting starts. Miami was also left in quite the predicament when former Toledo QB and transfer, Daquan Finn, bailed on the team before the season was over to “focus on the NFL Draft”. 

This year, the QB room looks a bit different. They have a redshirt freshman transfer from Kansas with zero games played. They also have Thomas Gotkowski, who played down the stretch for Miami last season, but only had a 44-percent completion rate. And finally, they have Caleb Heavner, a QB from the D2 ranks. 

Going into the 2026 MAC Media Days, it seems the Kansas transfer has the projected starting role. However, how confident is Miami with his progress as a passer and leader? And, what do the other quarterbacks in the room have to offer as we approach fall camp?

Toledo Rockets

What can we expect from Toledo heading into this season? The Rockets were a MAC contender last season before some unfortunate losses turned their season around. Head coach Jason Candle left for the UConn job, so first-time FBS HC Mike Jacobs steps in to fill the role. 

Toledo comes into this season losing their starting QB, top three rushers, and top four receivers. They also lose their entire secondary, inducing a second-round draft pick. And, they are without their top nine tacklers from a somewhat historic defense, for Toledo standards, that allowed a mere 13 points per game last season. 

There are a lot of moving parts here under new leadership to figure out if Toledo still wants to be a competitor in the MAC for the 2026 season. 

Ohio Bobcats

Quarterback Noah Kim is going to be the centerpiece on offense heading into 2026 for Eastern Michigan. He needs to work on accuracy and cutting down on some picks. Yet overall, Kim has the talent to get the program back to bowl contention. The question is, how does the coaching staff feel about the pieces around him with fall camp on the horizon? 

Kim has some returning receivers that will certainly help his cause. However, it seems like the OL is going to be mostly rebuilt and he will no longer have the security blanket of a 1000-yard running back to hand the ball off to. How much of the offensive load is he willing to take on himself and how does the offense look in general with the new pieces he has to work with?

Central Michigan Chippewas

Central Michigan shook things up last season, hiring Matt Drinkall and his somewhat untraditional offensive scheme. CMU was a respectable 7-6 in their first year under their new head coach, but how will the offense look this season? There are several factors to consider. 

Do the coaches feel more confident running more of this style of offense now in year two? With a full year of film, will the other MAC teams now be more well suited to counter their offense? Will there be more continuity with several starters returning on the offensive side of the ball, especially the OL? How much of the power spread scheme did they hide last season, having to play two different quarterbacks and what is the confidence level on offense for this season?

There are a lot of questions surrounding the future of the program that need to be answered at the 2026 MAC Media Days.

Buffalo Bulls and Bowling Green Falcons

Both penciled-in quarterback starters for Buffalo and Bowling Green are D2 transfers. Quarterback Elijah Holmes comes to Buffalo from Wingate. Meanwhile, Jay Kastantin transfers in from Assumption. 

Both Buffalo and Bowling Green had their share of quarterback woes last season. In fact, the Falcons played four different quarterbacks last year. Meanwhile, Penn State transfer Ta’Quan Roberson did not really work out as planned in Buffalo.

Making the jump from FCS to FBS can be challenging at the most important position. Yet, jumping from D2 to FBS is a whole different level. While Trinidad Chambliss of Ole Miss is probably the poster child for this jump, how often is a program going to strike gold fishing in the D2 ranks? 

Both D2 quarterbacks come in with average completion percentages in the low 60’s at the D2 level. It will be interesting to see how both teams feel about their quarterback rooms during the 2026 MAC Media Days, and how confident the coaches feel about the bump up in competition.  

Akron Zips

Quarterback Reese Poffenbarger once again transferred during the offseason, this time finding a home in Akron. He played at FCS UAlbany in 2023, sat behind Cam Ward at Miami FL in 2024, and then last season, he sat behind unknown star quarterback and FBS passing leader, Drew Mestemaker at North Texas. 

Poffenbarger now has a clear shot to show what he has to offer in 2026. It is unfair to say Poffenbarger doesn’t have what it takes to be a starter, considering he was behind the first overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft, and a likely NFL first rounder last season. However, we really haven’t seen anything from him at any of his FBS stops. Will this be a breakout year for the seasoned quarterback or another tale of a transfer who could never find his footing?

Kent State Golden Flashes

Quarterback Dru DeShields was a nice surprise for Kent State in 2025, and part of the reason why they were able to jump from 0-12 to 5-7 last year. The question is, can he continue to excel in year two as the starter? 

DeShields is an explosive, yet, unpolished passer, only having a completion percentage of 56 percent. However, he did have an 18-3 touchdown to interception ratio. Will the Kent State coaching staff allow him to run more than he did last season? 

DeShields is also a capable runner. With most of the running back room now cleared out, will the coaching staff allow him more freedom to run? He does need to work on his accuracy, but the big-play passing threat is now more readily available, as 1st Team MAC kick returner, Da’Realyst Clark, is the number one receiver heading into the season. 

Will DeShields continue to put up stats and build upon his first year success? Or, is there a chance we see a sophomore slump and a potential negative hit to the touchdown and interception columns?

UMass Minutemen

UMass is coming into the 2026 season without a win last year. This year, they hit the transfer portal hard, especially on defense. Along with five returning starters, UMass also added in six players from the P4 ranks. The defense looks interesting, and to be honest, it really can’t get much worse than the nearly 40 points per game allowed in 2025. Yet, how much better can we expect UMass to be on that side of the ball? 

Their defensive coordinator is now in his second season and the non-conference schedule looks much more manageable without the likes of Iowa and Missouri on the schedule. Will we see a drop in points per game because the defense is finally trending in the right direction? Or, will the defensive numbers be a product of a softer schedule?

The offense was decimated at season’s end last year. This year, they only return a second-string running back and a couple of depth players at wideout. However, Virginia Tech transfer quarterback Pop Watson comes in to lead the program this season. UMass’ QB play should take a step forward in 2026. However, how much comfortability and continuity has been formed heading into fall camp with so many new pieces and a new offensive coordinator? This could be a case of addition by subtraction.  

Sacramento State Hornets

Sacramento State is a new addition to the MAC conference this season, jumping up from the FCS ranks. The question here is what are the general expectations from the coaching staff and the school in general, heading into this season? 

Not only are the Hornets jumping up a level in competition. They are also working with an entirely new roster on offense, a new coach and coordinators, and a demanding back-and-forth east coast road schedule during the back half of the season. What is going to be expected from a mixed bag of transfers that come from all levels across college football? How does the staff feel about their potential fit in the MAC conference? And finally, does the program feel like it can compete in year one, even with the basement dwellers of the MAC? Or, will this season be more of a forgiving stepping stone forward in an unfamiliar environment?

There are a lot of questions about the MAC’s newest program, and little answers to be had. Hopefully, these questions get addressed during the conference’s media event in July.