Football Returns Home to Host Lindenwood

Football vs. Lindenwood
Date	Saturday, Sept. 26 \| 1 p.m. ET
Venue	'The Factory' inside Rynearson Stadium \| 30,200 \| Ypsilanti, Mich.
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF) \| Media Guide (PDF) \| Press Conference Video
Watch \| Stats	ESPN+ \| Live Stats
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| The Varsity Network App \| SiriusXM
Follow Us On X	@EMUFB \| @EMUAthletics
Tickets	Purchase Your Tickets HERE!

YPSILANTI (EMUEagles.com) -- After two consecutive road games against 'Power 4' opponents, the Eastern Michigan University football team returns home this week as the Eagles are set to welcome the Lions of Lindenwood University to 'The Factory' inside Rynearson Stadium Saturday, Sept. 26. The Eagles (1-3) and Lions (1-2) are set to kick off their first meeting at 1 p.m. with the game being streamed live on ESPN+.

TUNE IN
The first meeting in the series between Eastern Michigan and Lindenwood will be aired live on ESPN+ with Evan Stockton (play-by-play) and Randy Buffington (analyst) on the call. The Voice of the Eagles, Tom Helmer, is back on the air with play-by-play calls on WEMU (89.1 FM) with Rob Rubick joining him in the booth to break down all the action that can be heard live on WEMU.org, The Varsity Network app, and SiriusXM.

THE YPSI 500
Eastern Michigan secured its 500th all-time victory with its 28-17 win over visiting Sacramento State, Aug. 29, inside Rynearson Stadium for both team's season and Mid-American Conference opener. Standing 1-3 this year, the Eagles hold a record of 500-640-47 all-time with their victory over the Hornets making them the 111th different FBS program to reach the 500-win milestone. The next two teams on the list chasing 500 include Houston (487) and fellow MAC member Ball State (483).

GOING LIVE ON YEAR 135
The 2026 season marks the 135th varsity campaign for Eastern Michigan and its 51st as a member of the Mid-American Conference. EMU, then known as Michigan State Normal School, played its first game, Oct. 21, 1891, and has played at least two games every calendar year since then with the exception of 1944 (World War II).

BREAKING THE SEAL
In the game at Wisconsin, Sept. 19, the Eagles were able to break through with points in the first quarter for the first time all season with a touchdown scored on the team's first offensive possession of the game. Eastern, who received the ball after holding the Badgers on a fourth-down attempt from the EMU 33, marked 67 yards and capped the eight-play drive with Noah Kim finding Nick Devereaux in the corner of the end zone on a twisting 18-yard catch for six. Rudy Kessinger knocked in the extra point to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead and mark the first time Eastern not only scored in the first quarter but also on its opening drive since scoring a touchdown at Ball State, Nov. 15, last year.

GOING FOR A MARCH
Late in the third quarter at Wisconsin (Sept. 19), the Eagles took possession of the ball on their own 10-yard line with 5:17 remaining in the quarter. From there, Eastern put together a drive that covered 70 yards in 16 plays and chewed up 9:01 from the clock and culminated with Rudy Kessinger kicking a 38-yard field goal. The number of plays (16) and time used (9:01) ranked as the highest for the season with the time of possession ranking as the longest scoring drive in the 13 years Chris Creighton has led the team, surpassing the 8:05 used, Oct. 22, 2022, at Ball State when a 38-yard Jesus Gomez field goal stopped the clock. The 9:01 used against the Badgers is the longest drive by time by an EMU team since Oct. 26, 2013, when the Eagles used 9:25 to run 19 plays and cover 82 yards for a 5-yard rushing touchdown by Ryan Brumfield at Northern Illinois.

BEEN FOREVER
While the scoring drive against the Badgers was long, it didn't compare to how long it had been since Eastern scored an offensive touchdown against Wisconsin. When Nick Devereaux pulled in the touchdown pass from Noah Kim in the first quarter, it marked the first offensive touchdown the Eagles had scored in the five-game series with the Badgers. Previously, EMU's only other touchdown came in the 2021 game when David Carter, Jr., scored on a 98-yard interception. Prior to that, Eastern had tallied three field goals in the previous three games played.

TAKEAWAY STREAK
In the game at Wisconsin, Rayquan Adkins recorded his first career interception to mark the fourth consecutive game this year the Eagles have posted at least one takeaway. Through the first four games of the season, the Eastern defense has recorded six takeaways after grabbing just two through the same amount of play last year. Additionally, since the start of the 2014 season, the first with Chris Creighton as the team's head coach, Eastern has now grabbed six or more takeaways in the opening third of the season for the seventh time (in 13 years) and the first time since the team recorded six in 2023. The 2016 team led the way with 10 takeaways while the 2017, 2019, and 2020 squads each posted eight.

TAKEAWAYS TELL THE STORY UNDER CREIGHTON
Eastern Michigan is 43-17 when winning the turnover margin under Chris Creighton since 2014, including a 13-1 mark when winning the margin by two or more. The Eagles are 19-69 when tying or losing the turnover margin during the same span. EMU finished with a minus-2 margin against the Badgers after committing three turnovers while forcing one. Since 2014, EMU is 1-28 when finishing -2 or worse in turnover margin.

AMONG THE BEST
As a team, Eastern ranks 13th nationally in turnovers gained and second in the MAC with six (three interceptions and three fumble recoveries) with UMass topping the conference list with eight. The Eagles are one of 47 teams nationally that have scored a defensive touchdown (Bryce Llewellyn recovered a fumble in the end zone against San Jose State, Sept. 4), which ranks tied for 10th nationally. Three other MAC schools are tied for the league lead with the Eagles, including Sacramento State, who also has a fumble recovery for a score, and both Kent State and UMass, who both returned interceptions for touchdowns.

KNOW THE FOE: LINDENWOOD
The Lions, members of the Ohio Valley Conference in the FCS, come to Ypsilanti with a 1-2 overall record and stand 1-0 in OVC play after their season-opening 20-17 defeat of visiting Charleston Southern (Aug. 27). Lindenwood, who did not play last week, is set for its third consecutive road game of the year after falling, 36-32, at Stony Brook (Sept. 3) and 48-14 at Missouri State (Sept. 12). Pops Battle leads the way offensively for the Lions as he is 41-of-69 passing for 456 yards with two touchdowns and one interception while also leading the rushing attack with 176 yards on 37 carries with a team-high three scores. Jared Rhodes is the top running back with 136 yards on 36 carries with one touchdown while both Jalen Smith and Elijah Roy are Battle's top targets with 10 receptions each and 137 and 106 yards, respectively.

ALL-TIME VERSUS THE LIONS
The game with Lindenwood will mark the first between the two programs.

ALL-TIME VERSUS THE OVC
Despite having never played Lindenwood, Eastern is familiar with the current roster of Ohio Valley Conference teams with two of the three teams the Eagles have faced previously sharing a conference with EMU. Eastern is 10-5-0 all-time against Eastern Illinois and 5-11-1 against Western Illinois, both of whom were members of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with EMU from 1951-61. Eastern is 17-16-1 against the current members in the league, including 2-0-0 against SE Missouri State, despite having lost the last two games against the OVC, including a 31-28 home loss to EIU, Sept. 25, 2004, and a 34-12 setback to visiting WIU, Sept. 4, 2003. The last win against the OVC came Sept. 14, 2002, in a 35-32 home win over SEMO, which gave EMU wins over the Redhawks in back-to-back seasons.

'POPPING' ONE MORE ON THE BACK-TO-BACK LIST
Whether it was back-to-back games against California schools in Ypsilanti, playing Spartans in two consecutive games, or facing Big Ten opponents in consecutive weeks, the Eagles' 2026 season continues to add to that list. This week, Eastern is set to face Lindenwood, who is led by quarterback Pops Battle, the team's leader in passing yards (456) and rushing (176). Next week, when Eastern travels to Amherst, Mass., to face UMass, the Eagles could face the Minutemen's high-powered QB, William Watson III, who goes by 'Pop'.

NEW TO THE LIST
Since the start of the 2014 season and including its 28-17 win over Sacramento State (Aug. 29), Eastern has played an opponent for the first time in program history 23 times, holding a 12-11 record, with at least one newcomer each season under Chris Creighton with the exception of the 2020 COVID season which featured only MAC games. The game with Lindenwood will mark the 24th team added to that list. The Eagles are 12-9 in regular season games, including road wins at Illinois (2019) and Arizona State (2022), and 7-1 at home with the lone loss coming last year to Long Island (Sept. 6), 38-23.

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS UNDER CREIGHTON
Since the start of the 1976 season, Eastern Michigan has won 56 games in non-conference play with 44.6 percent of those victories (25 wins) coming in the past 12 seasons under Chris Creighton, an average of two non-conference wins per season. In that same span, 14 of those wins have come on the road with a Creighton-led squad capturing nine wins (64.3 percent), including wins at Big Ten opponents Rutgers (16-13, Sept. 9, 2017), Purdue (20-19, Sept. 8, 2018), and Illinois (34-31, Sept. 14, 2019), while adding a 30-21 win at Arizona State (Sept. 17, 2022), a then-member of the Pac-12 (currently Big 12).

STAYING CLEAN
Through four games, Eastern remains one of the more disciplined teams in the nation as the Eagles rank 11th in the FBS for fewest penalties called per game at 3.75 per contest while ranking fourth in penalty yards per game at 28.5. Eastern leads the MAC in both areas.

ADDED TO THE LIST • STARTERS
In the past two games, four players have earned their first career starts with three coming on offense and one on defense. In the game at Wisconsin (Sept. 19), Dalin Wilkins lined up at wide receiver on the team's first offensive possession while Elgin McDuffey earned his first start at linebacker. One week earlier at Michigan State (Sept. 12), the right side of the offensive line featured a pair of Eagles that made their first career starts as Dennis Strey, Jr., took over at right guard and first-year player Samuel Adjin lined up at right tackle.

WE SEE YOU
Several players also have seen their first snaps with the Eagles in recent weeks, including two on offense at Wisconsin. Late in the game with the Badgers (Sept. 19), Jace Stuckey took over at quarterback and was 2-of-2 passing for 14 yards while adding four yards on three rushes as well. Next to him, Decorie Johnson, a first-year player, carried the ball four times and collected 18 yards. Adam Samaha also took his first kick on special teams with the first kickoff of his career. The previous week at Michigan State (Sept. 12), Marty Collins, Colin Main, and RJ Alphonse each saw time on defense and special teams. Both Collins and Alphonse picked up their first career statistics as well with each recording one tackle.

MOWCHAN CONTINUES TO LEAD
Zach Mowchan has recorded 36 total tackles through four games this year, which not only leaves him seven away from tying his single-season best (43 in 2025), but also has him on top of the pile in the FBS. Mowchan, who is tied for 21st nationally with 9.0 tackles per game, is the FBS leader in total tackles with 36, one more than Dylan Lee of San Jose State, who has 35.

DOBBS THE DISRUPTOR
Caleb Dobbs has put his hands on six passes through four games in 2026 with one interception and five breakups. His 1.5 pass breakups per game rank him 10th in the NCAA while also leading the MAC. In his two seasons with the program, Dobbs has appeared in 15 games and recorded nine pass breakups, including two picks.

MORE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Along with the individual rankings by Zach Mowchan and Caleb Dobbs and the team in penalties, Eastern also appears among the top 50 in several other categories. As a team, the Eagles are 13th in fumbles recovered with three and 32nd in kickoff return defense at 15.0 yards per return. Individually, Noah Kim ranks 49th nationally in passing yards with 711 and Daniel Hull ranks 43rd in punting at 42.7 yards per punt.

STINGY IN THE FIRST
Eastern Michigan has been stingy defensively in the opening 15 minutes this season, allowing just 10 points through four games. The Eagles are surrendering 2.5 points per game in the first quarter, a mark tied for 26th nationally. EMU has held opponents scoreless in the opening quarter at home. The Eagles also have improved sharply from a season ago. EMU surrendered 84 points during the opening 15 minutes in 2025, an average of 7.0 points per game. Through four games in 2026, the Eagles have cut their first-quarter scoring allowance by 4.5 points per game, a 64.3 percent decrease.

SECOND QUARTER SURGE
Eastern Michigan has found its offensive rhythm in the second quarter, scoring 35 points through four games this season. The Eagles have scored more points in the second stanza than any other quarter, accounting for 35 of their 66 total points, or 53.0 percent. EMU's second-quarter production has included touchdowns in three of its first four games, including a seven-point quarter at Michigan State and 21 points against Sacramento State.

HOLD ON TO YOUR RED POP
EMU made a habit of keeping fans on edge in 2025, playing in six one-possession or overtime games, tied for fourth-most in the nation. Only Arizona State, Iowa State and San Jose State had more, with seven. Tight finishes are nothing new for the Eagles. Since 2016, Eastern has competed in 64 single-score regular-season games, the second-most in the country behind Northern Illinois with 66. The Eagles are 31-33 in those contests, showing a consistent knack for drama and resilience in crunch time.

SINGLE SCORES
Since the start of the 2016 season, Eastern is second nationally with 64 one-score games played, sitting behind Northern Illinois (67).
1. Northern Illinois - 67 (31-36)
2. Eastern Michigan - 64 (31-33)
t-3. Iowa State - 63 (28-35)
t-3. Texas - 63 (30-33)
5. Nebraska - 60 (19-41)
t-6. Kansas State - 58 (27-31)
t-6. North Carolina - 58 (24-34)
t-8. California - 55 (24-31)
t-8. Iowa - 55 (29-26)
t-8. Oklahoma State - 55 (32-23)
t-8. TCU - 55 (28-27)
t-8. Tulsa - 55 (25-30)

STARTER REPEATED
With Noah Kim earning the starting nod against Sacramento State (Aug. 29), the Eagles had the same starting quarterback in back-to-back season-opening games for the first time under Chris Creighton since Preston Hutchinson in 2020 and 2021. Kim also became just the third player to open consecutive seasons as QB1 under Creighton with Reginald Bell becoming the first in 2014 and 2015.

Game 1 Starting Quarterbacks Under Creighton
2026 - Noah Kim
2025 - Noah Kim
2024 - Cole Snyder
2023 - Austin Smith
2022 - Taylor Powell
2021 - Preston Hutchinson
2020 - Preston Hutchinson
2019 - Mike Glass
2018 - Tyler Wiegers
2017 - Brogan Roback
2016 - Todd Porter
2015 - Reginald Bell
2014 - Reginald Bell

KIM MAKES EMU HISTORY AGAINST P-4 FOES
Noah Kim rushed for a touchdown at Michigan State, Sept. 12, 2026, making him the first Eastern Michigan quarterback since 1995 to record rushing TDs against both Big Ten and SEC opponents. Kim previously scored on the ground at Kentucky on Sept. 13, 2025. He joins a select group of EMU quarterbacks who have rushed for touchdowns against Power 4 opponents but stands alone as the only one to do so against both the Big Ten and SEC. EMU quarterbacks have combined for 10 games with a rushing touchdown against Big Ten, SEC or ACC opponents since 1995.

BIG TEN
2026 • Noah Kim at Michigan State
2012 • Tyler Benz at Purdue
2009 • Andy Schmitt at Michigan
2008 • Andy Schmitt at Michigan State
2007 • Kyle McMahon vs. Northwestern
2007 • Andy Schmitt at Michigan

SEC
2025 • Noah Kim at Kentucky
2016 • Todd Porter at Missouri

ACC
2019 • Mike Glass III vs. Pitt
2010 • Alex Gillett at Virginia

ONE BY LAND AND TWO BY AIR
In the opener with Sacramento State (Aug. 29), Noah Kim finished the game with two passing touchdowns and added one more on the ground to mark the third time he has accomplished the feat in his career with all three coming with the Eagles in MAC games. Overall, his three such games are tied for the fourth-most among EMU quarterbacks since the start of the 1995 season with Mike Glass III (2018-19) leading the way with five and both Alex Gillett (2010-12) and Preston Hutchinson (2019-20) tied for second with four. When counting only MAC games, Kim's three games are tied for second with Andy Schmitt (2007-08), Gillett, and Brogan Roback (2015-17) while Hutchinson leads with four.

2+ pass/1+ rush TD (since 1995) – All Games
Mike Glass III (2018-19) – 5 games
Alex Gillett (2010-12) – 4 games
Preston Hutchinson (2019-20) – 4 games
Noah Kim (2025-present) – 3 games
Andy Schmitt (2007-08) – 3 games
Brogan Roback (2015-17) – 3 games

2+ pass/1+ rush TD (since 1995) – MAC Games ONLY
Preston Hutchinson (2019-20) – 4 games
Noah Kim (2025-present) – 3 games
Andy Schmitt (2007-08) – 3 games
Alex Gillett (2010-12) - 3 games
Brogan Roback (2015-17) - 3 games

ONE AND ONE
Along with his propensity to score on the ground and added multiple passing touchdowns, Noah Kim also ranks highly (since 1995) among EMU quarterbacks with at least one passing and one rushing touchdown in the same game as he recorded his sixth with two passing and one running score against Sacramento State (Aug. 29). His six career games with EMU are tied for the third-highest with Mike Glass III leading the way with 10.

1+ pass/1+ rush TD (since 1995) – All Games
Mike Glass III (2018-19) – 10 games
Alex Gillett (2010-12) – 8 games
Noah Kim (2025-present) – 6 games
Andy Schmitt (2007-08) – 6 games

FLYING THE FLAG
When a MAC team defeats a member of a "Power Four" conference, they celebrate by hoisting a black flag with the MAC logo placed above crossbones, something the Eagles have done four times since 2017 with victories over Rutgers, Purdue, Illinois, and Arizona State. Dating back to the start of the 2006 season, at least one member of the MAC has flown the flag with the conference accumulating 49 wins in that stretch of 20 consecutive seasons, including 33 against the Big Ten. All told, the MAC has posted wins against foes from the Big Ten (33), SEC (2), Big 12 (6), the former Pac-12 (2), the ACC (4), and one over Notre Dame. Overall, in the Eagles' four wins tie for the sixth-highest total in the MAC with Ball State and Western Michigan while Northern Illinois leads the way with nine, both Bowling Green and Central Michigan have six, and Ohio and Toledo have five. This year, the streak was continued in Week 1 with UMass handing Rutgers a 37-21 home loss, Sept. 3.

ONE FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS
Chris Creighton reached a significant milestone with his victory at Ball State, Nov. 15, becoming the 38th FBS head coach on record to earn 200 career wins. His career mark now stands at 201-131 across 30 seasons at Wabash, Ottawa, Drake, and Eastern Michigan, supported by a .607 winning percentage. The achievement places him among the active leaders in major college football, joining K.C. Keeler, Kirk Ferentz, and Willie Fritz. He also becomes the first coach to reach 200 career wins while serving at a MAC institution, adding his name to a select group of MAC-linked coaches who have hit the milestone, including Brian Kelly (Central Michigan), Nick Saban (Toledo), Woody Hayes (Miami), and Don Nehlen (Bowling Green).

CREIGHTON IN THE MAC
Chris Creighton has tallied 62 wins during his tenure with Eastern Michigan following the 28-17 defeat of Sacramento State (Aug. 29), with 37 of those victories coming in MAC games. With his most recent win, his 62 wins with the Eagles ranks tied for 11th in MAC history while his league win total is tied for 19th on the list.

Overall Coaching Wins in MAC History
1. Frank Solich (Ohio/2005-20) • 115
2. Herb Deromedi (Central Michigan/1978-93) • 110
3. Bill Hess (Ohio/1958-77) • 108
4. Jason Candle (Toledo/2015-25) • 81
5. Bob Pruett (Marshall/1997-04) • 79
6. Doyt Perry (Bowling Green/1955-64) • 77
7. Gary Pinkel (Toledo/1991-00) • 73
7. Chuck Martin (Miami/2014-pres) • 73
9. Trevor J. Rees (Kent State/1951-63) • 66
10. Bill Mallory (MU/1969-73, NIU/1980-83) • 64
11. Chris Creighton (EMU/2014-pres) • 62
11. Al Molde (Western Michigan/1987-96) • 62
11. Joe Novak (NIU/1997-07) • 62

UPPER HALF
Since 2016, Eastern has posted 59 wins, which ranks as the sixth-most victories of any team in the MAC.
82 • Toledo
79 • Ohio
72 • Western Michigan
68 • Miami
61 • Buffalo
59 • Eastern Michigan
57 • Central Michigan
45 • Ball State
40 • Bowling Green
36 • Kent State
33 • Akron
21 • UMass
1 • Sacramento State
* updated through 9/19/26

AYE, AYE CAPTAINS!
EMU will be led by five captains in 2026. Following a vote of the current roster, the players selected included Nicholas Gallegos (OL), Makhi Gilbert (DL), Noah Kim (QB), Bryce Llewellyn (DB), and Zach Mowchan (LB).

DONNING THE DEUCE
In an Aug. 20 team meeting, Chris Creighton announced Nick Devereaux would wear 'The Deuce' for the 2026 season, an honor reserved for the team's top senior pass catcher. While players often request a certain number to wear, 'The Deuce' must be earned in remembrance of wide receiver Demarius Reed, who passed away on Oct. 18, 2013. 'The Deuce was put back into circulation in 2017 with the blessing of Reed's family and former teammates and has been worn by Sergio Bailey II (2017), Blake Banham (2018), Mathew Sexton (2019), Thomas Odukoya (2020), Bryson Cannon (2021), Hassan Beydoun (2022), Tanner Knue (2023), Oran Singleton (2024), and Terry Lockett Jr. (2025).

ZEROING IN
Another number that cannot be requested by an Eastern player is The Zero. Most weeks, the defensive coaching staff will select an individual player that stood out in the previous week's game and the following week of practice and will announce the wearer at a team meeting on the eve of the game. This year, the honor has been earned by Donmiel Rogers (Sacramento State), Makhi Gilbert (San Jose State), Ronn Hardin (Michigan State), and Peyton Christian (Wisconsin). Six players returned this season that have previously worn The Zero, including two-time honorees Carter Evans and Barry Manning, along with Quincy Byas, Caleb Dobbs, Gilbert, and Bryce Llewellyn.

WELCOME TO YPSILANTI
The 2026 roster features 54 newcomers to the program, including 30 first-year players and 24 transfers. The first-year players hail from nine states and two countries with players representing Florida (8), Georgia (3), Illinois, Indiana (4), Kentucky, Michigan (6), New Jersey (2), Ohio (3), and Pennsylvania with one player from Canada. Additionally, the five of the 24 transfers came to Ypsilanti from 'Power 4' programs, including Illinois, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Syracuse, and Virginia Tech with other NCAA Division I programs including Akron, Delaware State, Drake, Lamar, St. Francis (Pa.), and Yale.

MAKE'EM SAY 'UNC'LE
When looking at the newcomers, 11 of the 30 first-year players were born in 2008, nearly six years after eight the team's 'elder' statesmen, including Ronn Hardin, who was born in November of 2001. Comparatively, the youngest player on the roster is Horace Glenn III, who was born in October of 2008, Hardin the 'unc' of the team by over 2,500 days (nearly six years and 11 months). Additionally, Hardin is the 15th-oldest player in the FBS.

ADDED TO THE STAFF
Changes to the coaching roster also took place since the end of the 2025 season with five new assistant coaches in place for 2026. Joining the staff this year are Antreal Allen (cornerbacks), who coached cornerbacks at West Georgia in 2025; Erik Campbell (wide receivers), who worked with the wide receivers at Michigan in 2025; Donnell Kirkwood Jr. (running backs), who coached running backs at Washington State in 2025; Zac Sias (defensive tackles), who worked with the linebackers at Kansas the past two years; and Grant Kurzner (special teams coordinator), who worked with Michigan's special teams the past two years.

NEW CALLERS
Along with the new additions to the staff, new roles were also assigned as both Tate Omli and Kasey Teegardin were named co-defensive coordinators for 2026. Omli, who also works with the safeties, is in his fourth season with the Eagles while Teegardin, who is entering his third season in Ypsilanti, will work with the defensive ends. Offensively, Mike Piatkowski returns as the offensive coordinator for the Eagles.

HAIL TO THE CHIEF!
The football player and staff roster was not the only change this offseason as Dr. Brendan Kelly was selected to lead Eastern Michigan as the 24th president of the University. Kelly, who began his tenure in Ypsilanti on April 1, 2026, earned both his bachelor's degree in public relations and master's degree in communication from EMU before completing his Ph.D. in political communication and rhetoric at Wayne State University. Early in his career, he served at EMU as Assistant Director of Forensics and a Lecturer in Communication and Theatre Arts, making today's return a meaningful homecoming for both him and his wife, Dr. Tressa Kelly, also a two‑time EMU alumna and longtime educator.

ON THE LIST
Eastern had 16 players named to preseason All-MAC teams by Athlon Sports and/or Phil Steele with eight Eagles earning a selection to both lists. The Eagles appearing on both ledgers included Nick Devereaux (1st team Athlon/1st team Steele), Carter Evans (1st/1st), Nicholas Gallegos (1st/2nd), Bryce Llewellyn (1st/1st), Joshua Long (1st/1st), Rudy Kessinger (2nd/2nd), Noah Kim (3rd/3rd), and Jason Marshall (4th/4th). Additionally, Athlon Sports recognized Barry Manning (2nd), Joshua Anderson (3rd), Braydon Bennett (3rd), Jefferson Adam (4th), Caleb Coley (4th), and Harold Mack Jr. (4th) while Phil Steele selected Makhi Gilbert (3rd) and Juan Salas Jr. (4th) to their lists.

WATCHING OUT
Seven Eastern players were named to preseason watch lists for various national honors ahead of the start of the season. The list included Bryce Llewellyn for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (best defensive player), Dennis Strey Jr. for the All-State AFCA Good Works Team and the Allstate Wuerfful Trophy (community service), Nick Devereaux for the East-West Shrine Bowl (all-star game), Joshua Long for the John Mackey Trophy (tight end), Nicholas Gallegos for the Rimington Trophy (center), and Braydon Bennett for the Doak Walker (running back).

ON THE HORIZON
Eastern, with its non-conference slate behind it, will return to action Saturday, Oct. 3, for its first Mid-American Conference road contest of 2026 as the Eagles will venture to Amherst, Mass., to take on the University of Massachusetts. The game is set to kickoff at 3:30 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+. Tom Helmer and Rob Rubick will have the call on WEMU (89.1 FM), the Varsity Network app, and SiriusXM radio.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jefferson Adam

Samuel Adjin

Rayquan Adkins

RJ Alphonse

Joshua Anderson

Braydon Bennett

Quincy Byas

Peyton Christian

Caleb Coley

Marty Collins

Nick Devereaux

Caleb Dobbs

Carter Evans

Nicholas Gallegos

Makhi Gilbert

Horace Glenn III

Ronn Hardin

Daniel Hull

Decorie Johnson

Rudy Kessinger

Noah Kim

Bryce Llewellyn

Terry Lockett Jr.

Joshua Long

Harold Mack

Colin Main

Barry Manning

Jason Marshall

Elgin McDuffey

Zach Mowchan

Donmiel Rogers

Juan Salas

Adam Samaha

Dennis Strey Jr.

Jace Stuckey

Dalin Wilkins

Eastern Michigan Athletics