Central Michigan Chippewas 2026 Season Preview

Senior Angel Flores headlines the position and fits Drinkall's scheme as a genuine running threat. He led the team in rushing for stretches of last season before an injury cost him the final four regular-season games, still finishing with 527 yards and a team-high eight scores on the ground while completing 19 of 28 throws. Expect the staff to keep leaning on his legs.

The picture behind him is less settled. One read has sophomore Jadyn Glasser, a more traditional pocket passer who has appeared in six games across two years, pushing for meaningful snaps after a strong spring and giving the offense a passing complement to Flores. Another points to Marcus Beamon as the likeliest change-of-pace option. Either way, the job runs through Flores when he is healthy.

Langston Lewis, a senior who earned third-team all-conference honors, anchors the receiving corps as the clear go-to target. He is the lone returning starter at the position, but the addition of veteran Tommy McIntosh gives Central Michigan a second proven pass catcher, and the two are viewed as a duo capable of keeping defenses from crowding the box. Together they accounted for 74 catches, 1,018 yards and six touchdowns a year ago. Sophomore Nasir Williams flashed in the spring and could carve out a role. Tight end is less certain, with the staff still sorting through options for a starting job.

The backfield is deep but unsettled at the top. Liberty transfer Vaughn Blue is projected by some to step into the lead role after three uneven seasons that produced 557 rushing yards. Others see returning back Brock Townsend, who averaged better than five yards a carry with four touchdowns on 82 attempts, as the top holdover, with Holy Cross transfer Jayden Clerveaux pushing for a prominent share after a productive Patriot League career that included a 762-yard season and multiple all-league nods. With the team's leading rushers from a year ago gone, there are plenty of carries to distribute, and the competition should sort itself out in camp.

The offensive line is the strength of the offense, deeper and more experienced with roughly four starters back in the fold. Jacob Russell is the standout, an all-conference candidate who started every game last season; some slot him at guard and others at left tackle, but either way he anchors the group. Matthew Nehf and Martin Koivisto are also established pieces, and the depth behind them should keep the run game formidable.

The front is the most reliable part of a defense that must replace heavy production, and it ranked seventh in the league in total defense last fall. Quavion Bird returns inside after taking over at tackle around midseason, starting seven games and clogging the middle. On the edge, Korver Demma brings starting experience and a hybrid end-linebacker skill set that produced 3.5 sacks. Sophomore JJ Douglas, who switched from tight end to defensive end early in his true freshman year, is a breakout candidate in Year 2, and veteran D.J. Bennett adds another body off the edge after part-time work.

The linebacking corps essentially starts over, with the defense losing its seven leading tacklers from 2025. Xavier White, who was in the rotation last year and carries notable football bloodlines as the great-nephew of 1979 Heisman winner Charles White, is a leading returning name. Victor Earl saw limited snaps off the bench and is projected to move into a starting role, with Antonio Cherry Jr. also in the mix. It is an inexperienced group that will go a long way toward defining how far the defense can climb.

Cornerback Jaion Jackson is the leader of the back line, a third-year starter coming off a season with an interception and seven pass breakups. Opposite him the job is open, with JaJuan Jones and Ty Williams in the running along with Bethune-Cookman transfer Matthew McKenzie and Campbell transfer Donavan Philord, either of whom could make an immediate impact. Safety is a question mark given the inexperience, and Wyoming transfer Justin Taylor is expected to help stabilize the group.

Punter is a clear positive. Declan Duley, an Illinois transfer, returns after averaging 41.1 yards and dropping 18 punts inside the 20 in his first season. Placekicking is up for grabs, with redshirt freshman Caden VanHuis, a former high school all-star who converted all his spring attempts, competing with Zac Chapeau for the job. Outside of Duley, the special teams have plenty to prove.