2026 MAC Football Preseason Preview: Kent State Golden Flashes

Kent State entered the 2025 season coming off the heels of an 0-12 campaign. The 2024 Golden Flashes never led until their antepenultimate game in mid-November, never led by more than seven, and never carried a lead beyond the first quarter.

It seemed as if a similar story was destined to be written in 2025.

Head coach Kenni Burns was fired for off-the-field causes during the spring. Defensive coordinator Kody Morgan also suddenly departed in July, and transfers followed. Kent State needed a leader to navigate this adversity, and offensive coordinator Mark Carney was promoted to interim head coach.

With expectations below the floor to kick off the year, Carney led one of the best turnaround efforts in college football. Kent State not only returned to the win column but won five times, flirted with bowl eligibility, and reclaimed the Wagon Wheel from hated rival Akron.

Carney was promoted from interim to full-time head coach for his efforts, and now Kent State retains several key pieces entering 2026.

Now with expectations, the Golden Flashes — which haven't reached the postseason since 2021 — look to complete their transformation from winless to bowl eligible in a two-year timeframe.

What’s New?

Mark Carney prepares for his first season with the full-time head coach label. That alone creates more stability within the program. Offensive coordinator Clay Patterson and defensive coordinator Cherokee Valeria, who were suddenly thrust into their coordinator roles last spring and summer, respectively, also enter year two in their positions.

Carney pilfered the FCS ranks to find his new position hires, including running backs coach Braxton Chapman (Dartmouth), tight ends coach Dave Bucar (UAlbany), offensive line coach Alex Stadler (Elon), and defensive line coach Allen Gant (Fordham). Former Flashes receiver Isaac Vance, who played in Kent from 2017-22, also joins the staff as receivers coach after two years at FCS East Tennessee State.

Perhaps the biggest splash hire was former NFL star and Kent State alum Josh Cribbs. The ex-Cleveland Brown return specialist joins the staff as a special teams analyst and has represented the special teams unit in interviews during fall camps. He previously served as a Browns' special teams coaching intern in 2018.

Kent State's transfer portal class isn't particularly extensive. The Golden Flashes landed 17 transfers in this offseason's cycle, including six directly from FBS programs. Running back and linebacker are the position groups expected to see the heaviest transfer influence this fall.

Offense

• Key arrivals: RB Mason King, RB Jakorion Caffey, OC Ben Midea, OT Mofe Adewole
• Key departures: RB Gavin Garcia, RB Jordan Nubin, WR Cade Wolford, WR Da'Shawn Martin, G Ashton Rivera, OT Junior Diallo, OT Garrett Masterson, OT Matt Pajuste
• Key incumbents: QB Dru DeShields, WR Wayne Harris, WR Ardell Banks, TE Terik Mulder, TE Hunter Hopperton, C Dustyn Morell, G Jaxon Dunn, G Boston Crowell, OT Tyler Meadows

Statistically, Kent State's offense did not stand off the page. The Golden Flashes were 128th in total offense, regularly struggled to run the ball, and posted the second-worst third down conversion rate in the country.

However, Kent State did two things very well. One was ball security, committing only 13 turnovers in 12 games to rank second in the MAC. The other was explosive plays. Only North Texas had more 70+ yard pickups in the passing game (five) than the Golden Flashes (four) during the 2025 season. Quarterback Dru DeShields completed a 50+ yard pass in six of 11 games as explosives became a staple of the unit.

Speaking of DeShields, he's back for another season. His first year as a collegiate starter went swimmingly, completing 18 touchdowns to three interceptions. DeShields, who navigated several ACL tears in his high school and early college career, showcased a full slate of health last year and put up 2,030 passing yards on a 56.7 completion percentage. With natural progression as a second-year starter, he has potential to develop into an All-MAC quarterback.

DeShields loses his two 500-yard wide receivers Cade Wolford (Cincinnati) and Da'Shawn Martin (Virginia) but retains the team's third, fourth, and fifth leading receivers. Wayne Harris is the expected WR1 after leading the Golden Flashes with 35 receptions, while Ardell Banks could eat up some of Wolford and Martin's production as a WR2. Jay Jay Etheridge and explosive kick returner Da'Realyst Clark should also see expanded reps in a room primarily comprised of incumbents.

Kent State enjoys strong continuity at tight end. The team's chief blocking tight end Hunter Hopperton is back after spending the majority of last season as a starter. The No. 1 receiving tight end Terik Mulder also remains in the room after tying for third on the team with 19 receptions and second with four touchdown catches.

Running back is the position group facing the most turnover on offense. Lead tailback Gavin Garcia and secondary back Jordan Nubin — the only players who eclipsed 100 rushing yards on the roster — both graduated. Ayden Harris is the only remaining back with substantial in-game experience. The new batch includes former Northern Illinois running back Mason King, a 2021 MAC champion who nearly hit 1,000 yards in 2023 and has since been hampered by injuries. The Flashes also restock with Cincinnati transfer Jakorion Caffey and true freshman Brandon White, two newcomers looking to make names for themselves.

Rounding out the offense is Kent State's most experienced line in years, headlined by center Dustyn Morell. In 2023, Morell was a true freshman opening week starter who endured a trial by fire but has since developed into an effective piece on the interior. Jaxon Dunn started the final eight games on the o-line, four of which were Kent State victories. Boston Crowell earned two late-season starts at guard and could assume a greater role this year. Also, 6'8", 340-pound tackle Tyler Meadows returns as a more polished, experienced sophomore after making six starts as freshman. The Golden Flashes bolstered depth through FCS transfer additions, bringing in center Ben Midea (St. Francis [PA]) and Second Team All-NEC tackle Mofe Adewole (Robert Morris).

Defense

• Key arrivals: DT Camdon Wilborn, ILB Rocco Nicholl, ILB Nate Gregory, OLB Hayden Dawahare, OLB Semaj Bridgeman, CB Davion Pritchard, FS Norey Johnson
• Key departures: DE Stretch Carroll, DE Jamond Mathis, DE AJ Campbell, DT Mason Maddox, DT Jelani Davis, ILB Mason Woods, OLB CJ Young, OLB Canaan Williams, CB Jaire Rawlison, CB Terrell Miller, SS Tevin Tucker
• Key incumbents: DT Thomas Aden, DT Darian Blachewicz, ILB Sayed Abduhamdeh, CB A'tiq Muhammad, FS Derrick Jackson III, FS DJ Barnes, SS Joel Cordoba

Kent State's overall defensive numbers were not impressive, but they were somewhat skewed by a brutal non-conference schedule involving three complete meltdowns — a 66-10 loss to Florida State, 62-14 loss to Texas Tech, and 44-0 loss to Oklahoma. In MAC play, the unit wasn't stellar, but it also wasn't nearly as porous. Kent State can take the next step with a more prosperous takeaway output after averaging fewer than one per game in 2025.

There's more turnover in Cherokee Valeria's defense than on the offensive side of the ball, but the Golden Flashes still have better retention than some other MAC peers. Kent State started two true freshman safeties last year in Joel Cordoba and Derrick Jackson III, and the good news is they're now highly-experienced sophomores. Cordoba and Jackson are the returning leaders in tackles on the 2026 squad, contributing 68 and 49, respectively, right out of high school.

Defensive tackle Thomas Aden is another starter back after anchoring the line with 24 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, and a sack. The defensive line was arguably the best position group on Kent State's roster last year, and replacing defensive ends Stretch Carroll and Jamond Mathis won't be easy. With a lack of transfers on the d-line, Kent State may turn to reserves such as Jaihien Roy and Antonio Bottiggi to fill the defensive end vacancies, while Darian Blachewicz (21 tackles, 5.0 TFL) could step into a greater role at defensive tackle.

Other familiar faces who should be mainstays in the defense include linebacker Sayed Abduhamdeh, cornerback A'tiq Muhammad, and free safety DJ Barnes. Abduhamdeh, now in his fourth year with the Flashes, produced a career-best 38 tackles last year — the most among returning linebackers. Muhammad manned down a starting cornerback position for the first half of 2025, generating 28 tackles and a pass breakup. Finally, Barnes earned three starts at safety with 30 tackles, a pair of tackles for loss, and a forced fumble to his name.

The Golden Flashes' transfer portal class is headlined by one of their best players from two years ago. Rocco Nicholl boomeranged back to the program after one year at South Florida. In 2024, he was fourth on the team with 61 tackles, albeit limited to eight games due to a season-ending injury. He'll be joined alongside FBS transfer linebackers Nate Gregory (Coastal Carolina), Hayden Dawahare (Kentucky), and Semaj Bridgeman (Michigan State). These three combined for 10 tackles in 2025, with Bridgeman leading the way with six, but they're expected to see significantly more snaps in their new home.

The top transfer on the defensive line is 6'1", 285-pound defensive tackle Camdon Wilborn. Wilborn excelled as a redshirt freshman at FCS Robert Morris with 51 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a sack. Two transfers to watch in the secondary include cornerback Davion Pritchard and safety Norey Johnson, although they arrive with varying levels of experience. Pritchard saw two games of action as a redshirt freshman at Pittsburgh last season, while Johnson is armed with 30 games and 87 tackles under his belt from FCS stops at Grambling and Houston Christian.

Special Teams

• Key arrivals: K Eli Tucker
• Key departures: K Will Hryszko, P Charlie Durkin
• Key incumbents: K Sean Leonard, P Jake Stoeckel, KR Da'Realyst Clark, PR Wayne Harris, LS Gus Goodell

Kent State has a common preseason All-American selection in its special teams room. Da'Realyst Clark was the MAC Special Teams Player of the Year in 2025 as an electrifying presence in the kick return game. He averaged 28.3 yards per return and was one of five players in the FBS to produce multiple kick return touchdowns — a late-fourth quarter go-ahead score in Week 1 to snap Kent State's 21-game losing streak and an opening kickoff touchdown against UMass.

The Flashes also retain punt returner Wayne Harris. Harris was responsible for all 16 punt returns last year, guiding the team to the 19th-highest return average in the country. He contributed a 59-yard punt return touchdown against Central Michigan, giving the Golden Flashes three special teams touchdowns on the season.

However, the special teams continuity ends there. Kent State must replace kicker Will Hryszko and punter Charlie Durkin. The Golden Flashes only attempted 11 field goals last year and preferred to show aggressiveness on fourth down, but perhaps that approach changes if they find a knockdown kicker. Redshirt freshman Sean Leonard is the likely candidate. The program also rosters Eli Tucker, a St. Francis (PA) transfer with substantial kickoff specialist experience, and redshirt sophomore Tommy Newcomb.

At punter, Jake Stoeckel is anticipated to rise into the role after handling nine punts for 283 yards in 2025.

Outlook

Are we ready to talk about bowl eligible Kent State?

Kent State only has four bowl appearances since joining the MAC in 1962, with the most recent one transpiring in 2021 under Sean Lewis.

The Golden Flashes flirted with the postseason last year. There were two highly-winnable losses to Buffalo and Ball State, and flipping either result would have drastically improved the tone of an already-stellar season. But the same thing could be said about Kent State's wins. Four of their five victories were by one score. Three featured a go-ahead Flashes touchdown while trailing in the final six minutes, while the other was an overtime win over archrival Akron.

The return of Dru DeShields — a more experienced version of him, nonetheless — is the top reason for optimism within the program. But Mark Carney returns several key pieces from last year's developing team as well, especially at wide receiver, tight end, and safety. There's also significant upside in the transfer laden linebacker room.

On the contrary, Kent State's statistics do not look like those of a 5-7 team last season — the underlying reason why many oddsmakers are pessimistic about the Flashes. There weren't many major facets they consistently executed at a high level, and they didn't put away any opponent except 0-12 UMass.

As usual, Kent State's non-conference schedule is terrifying.

The Golden Flashes continue their traditional model of one home game against FCS competition and three paycheck games on the road. They'll travel to South Carolina, Ohio State, and South Florida, likely entering as 20+ point underdogs in all three. If the Golden Flashes cannot pull off an upset, they'll need five MAC victories to qualify for bowl eligibility in a home slate of Ball State, Ohio, Akron, and Miami (OH), and road trips to Western Michigan, Sacramento State, Bowling Green, and Eastern Michigan.

If that six-win mark is attained, the season will be a riveting success.

Schedule

All dates and times are current as of publication. An asterisk (*) denotes a conference game.

^ played at neutral-site Ford Field in Detroit, MI