The MAC Conference will look slightly different in the 2026 season, with a team switcheroo and many young stars replacing now-graduated seniors as new players aim to etch out relevance in the College Football 2026 fantasy rankings landscape.
MAC Football Spring Storylines
A once-established Northern Illinois squad is the only departure for the 2026 season, and they'll seek greener pastures in the Mountain West Conference. In their stead, Sacramento State will join the MAC. Even though the closest MAC school to Sac State is 2,177 miles away, the Hornets will look to make a mark in a jump from the FCS level.
With only a slight turnover and plenty of teams doubling down on their philosophies, the MAC should continue to provide plenty of entertainment and fantasy relevance as it has in the last few seasons. But what are the biggest storylines to look out for as practice ramps up and players get angry about where they are on the depth charts?
Akron Zips Spring Preview
Another level for Gant?
Akron was overall mediocre in the 2025 season, but they did have some starpower from quarterback Ben Finley, who ranked fourth in passing yards (2,475) and second in passing touchdowns (19) for the MAC. With Finley graduated and no QB1 in sight, it's highly likely that the Zips will need to rely on senior ball carrier Jordan Gant.
Gant transferred into Akron from Tennessee State last offseason, and he was an immediate star for the Zips. The 5-foot-10 running back closed out the 2025 campaign with 213 carries for 1,032 yards and 6 touchdowns, along with carrying the ball 20 or more times in the last four games. With the quarterback battle being between transfer backup Reese Poffenbarger and Akron backup Brayden Roggow, it's very likely that Gant will be running the show.
Given that he only averaged 10.2 carries over the first five games compared to 23.1 totes per contest thereafter, it's fair to anticipate an even larger workload for Gant in 2026.
Ball State Cardinals Spring Preview
Luster the next Kelly?
The easiest advice would be not to target any Ball State player when focusing on fantasy. Starting quarterback Kiael Kelly has finally used up all of his eligibility, and he was only relevant last season due to his dual-threat abilities. 2025 leading running back Qua Ashley has hit the portal, and his successors will be sophomore Jalen Bonds and Kansas transfer Johnny Thompson, with both of them rushing for less than 100 yards last campaign.
With the receiving game also being almost abysmal last season even with passing game aficionado Craig Harmon being the OC, it's unknown if the Cardinals will be able to get much going with lesser talent.
Luckily, the team is likely to turn to Texas State transfer quarterback Keldric Luster under center, who actually averaged 4.6 yards per carry in the 2024 season with SMU. Luster could emerge in a similar role as Kelly's this season, and he'll be more valuable if he can throw the ball efficiently. So, a one-two punch of Luster and Thompson could be the rage for Ball State, and they're definitely both worth keeping an eye on this spring..
Bowling Green Falcons Spring Preview
QB battle imminent
The Falcons struggled to compete in the MAC this past season, with poor quarterback play and switches categorizing their season. Hunter Najm, who they turned to in the latter half of the season, is a frontrunner for the QB1 role. He started the final three games of the 2025 bout, completing 27 of 50 passes for 395 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions. His competition will be Oregon transfer Austin Novosad, who was a buried backup for the Ducks across three seasons. He'll bring a wealth of knowledge from Eugene, but he's had no chance to prove himself yet at the collegiate level.
Given that Bowling Green's running game not looking to be any better this season than last, it's worth checking out junior wideout Brennan Ridley and an imminent position battle between tight ends Blane Cleaver and Eli Jacon-Duffy. These playmakers all have the potential to take the burden off whichever quarterback gets the curse of leading the squad.
Kent State Golden Flashes Spring Preview
Building with DeShields
Dru DeShields hopped into the starting quarterback role this past season following a winless campaign for the Golden Flashes, and he performed much better than expected. Not only did he pass for 2,030 yards with 18 touchdowns and just three interceptions, but he also helped lead the team to a 4-4 conference record. He's not a huge threat as a runner, but he did tally 36 yards and a trio of scores on top of his passing production.
With DeShields returning as a redshirt junior this year, there's high hope he'll continue to develop. While he'll be joined by a squad of skill players that have as little value as you'd expect, DeShields could be the man to watch ahead of the 2026 season if he can improve on his totals from last season and potentially add a bit more weight to his 185-pound frame to be more of a threat near the goal line as a runner.
Buffalo Bulls Spring Preview
Openings across the board
The Bulls were packed with a group of stars in the 2025 season, including top-five MAC quarterback Ta'Quan Roberson, top-three wide receiver Nik McMillan and 755-yard rusher Al-Jay Henderson. As these things mostly go, each of the trio is either graduating or transferring ahead of the 2026 campaign.
Now, Buffalo will turn to younger talent to lead a previously high-powered offense. Keep an eye out for sophomore QB Jason Wright, who logged 15 rushes for 43 yards last season. His athleticism could secure the starting role and push him into fantasy consideration. Regarding the backfield, junior Terrance Shelton will look to make another jump after eating into Henderson's carries last season with 57 attempts for 244 yards and a score. This puts the Bulls in an interesting spot, as they'll need this younger wave of talent to make the jump as spring unfolds.
Central Michigan Chippewas Spring Preview
Leaning into the ground game
The Chippewas were an interesting team this past season, finishing in the top half of the MAC but not necessarily having standout playmakers. The team instead focused on defense and slowing down their opponent. Starting quarterback Joe Labas, who threw for just 1,854 yards and wasn't much of a difference maker, has run out of eligibility as well.
This sheds an interesting light on dual-threat quarterback Angel Flores, who was utilized as a rusher in the 2025 season. He ended up finishing second in rushing yards (527) and first in rushing scores (eight) for CMU this past campaign. This makes him a very interesting fantasy prospect for the upcoming season, especially if he can pair his rushing dominance with any level of passing value. The potential for a full-time role under center, and having an experienced back in Brock Townsend (82 rushes for 418 yards and four touchdowns in 2025) beside him, Flores could prove to have some fantasy upside in 2026.
Eastern Michigan Eagles Spring Preview
Backfield intrigue
Gone from EMU are both of the top two rushers from a season ago in Dontae McMillan (177 carries for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns; 33 catches for 375 yards and three scores), and Tavierre Dunlap (106 carries for 426 yards and five touchdowns; 20 catches for 113 yards), representin all but 11 carries from the running back position in 2025.
The running back position is clearly an important one, and the answer to who will take over may have arrived via the transfer portal. Braydon Bennett transferred in after a one-year stop at Virginia Tech in 2025 that saw him play in just four games, allowing him to stick around another year. Before that, he accumulated 134 totes for 781 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2024 at Coastal Carolina, adding 25 catches for 188 yards and two touchdowns as a receiver. He clearly fits the mold of the do-it-all back the Eagles are looking for.
In addition to him, EMU brought in Malachi James from Syracuse, and Joey Mattord returns after handling six carries last year, so it will be worth monitoring how this backfield shakes up in the spring, summer, and fall.
UMass Minutemen Spring Preview
Hoping to Break Rookie Slump
After entering the MAC last offseason, UMass had hoped to impress in a new setting. The team ended up doing the opposite, finishing the 2025 campaign with zero in the win column. These struggles can be attributed to many factors, but the rough play at the QB position is always blamed in times of strife.
The Minutemen will have a completely different quarterback room this year, with the frontrunner being Virginia Tech transfer William Watson. The redshirt junior didn't do much with the Hokies (77 passing yards, 22 rushing yards, and a rushing score in 2025), but he'll hopefully bring the heat from a competitive environment to a team that really needs it.
He'll be joined by a slew of pass catchers that were unable to surpass 300 yards last season, and a running back room that, as of now, looks like it could be a committee of Rocko Griffin and Juwaun Price.
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Miami (Ohio) RedHawks Spring Preview
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New OC in Town
Miami-Ohio was a goliath in the MAC once again this past season, and they ended up being runner-ups in the title game for a second season in a row. 2026 will bring a wave of differences for the team, though, as offensive coordinator Pat Welsh has taken on a tight ends coaching spot with Colorado State. This has promoted quarterback coach Gus Ragland to the helm, which is bound to produce some changes for the team.
While the quarterback spot is relatively open, redshirt sophomore Thomas Gotkowski will likely take the role. Ragland's scheme will likely be focused around the quarterback, but he'll definitely be leaning on the run game given the inexperience under center. The RedHawks will also introduce Wisconsin transfer Cade Yacamelli to their dynamic backfield, and he's a name to keep an eye out for.
Otherwise, it's likely that a high efficiency pass offense will spread the love, so there's not any particular pass catcher at this point in the offseason that's catching anyone's eye.
Ohio Bobcats Spring Storylines
Filling the slot receiver role
With the Bobcats now rolling with former DC John Hauser as their new head coach, there's bound to be changes. While the winning mindset and scheme strengths all around should remain, the team will need to focus on progressing their new wave of talent.
The biggest loss this offseason season is Parker Navarro, the acclaimed dual-threat quarterback who led the team to a MAC championship in 2024. The team has also lost its entire platoon of skill position standouts, so it'll be a footrace to the top at the running back, wide receiver and tight end positions.
The three QBs rostered for 2026 were all with Ohio this past season, and the only experience out of all is Nick Poulos, who threw for 19 yards against Ohio State last season, and that's it. This makes it very unlikely that the Bobcats will have a fantasy standout like Navarro in their squad this year.
With that being said, the biggest position group to watch out for in the spring will be the wide receivers. The top options for starting roles are Caleb Gossett, Dom Dorwart and Eian Pugh, who were with Ohio last year as well, but none eclipsed 200 receiving yards.
Chase Hendricks claimed the slot last year, notching 71 catches for 1,047 yards and seven touchdowns. That comes on the heels of Coleman Owen posting 78 grabs for 1,245 yards and eight scores the year prior in the same spot. Gossett saw the second-most snaps and may be the favorite to inherit that role after playing the second-most snaps in the slot, but Hendricks moved from the outside to claim it last year, so it's no guarantee Gossett will be the guy.
Sacramento State Hornets Spring Preview
Making big jump; plenty of shoes to fill
Sacramento State will be joining the big dogs in 2026 after previously being an FCS team. While their distance may be an issue, they have bigger problems to worry about after UMass got annihilated as a new team last year. The Hornets will need to adapt to the gritty play level of the MAC, which makes it risky to target any of their players in a fantasy sense. Still, it'll be interesting to see how the team tackles the new challenge with unproven talent at the FBS level.
Cardell Williams worked as the starter for the Hornets in 2025 and turned in an impressive campaign, but he entered the transfer portal in December, and it's unclear where he will end up. Pitt transfer Rodney Hammond also exhausted his eligibility, and Damian Henderson transferred to Colorado this offseason.
Thus, the Hornets face a tall task in their first season as an FBS-level program. The team picks up Carson Conklin from Fresno State under center and Cincere Rhaney from San Diego State to help fill the void, also adding Davion Godley (Weber State).
Toledo Rockets Spring Preview
Starting from scratch
Toledo was one of the best teams in the conference this past season, and that was attributed to a high-power offense with plenty of weapons. Unfortunately, the Rockets will send starting quarterback Tucker Gleason, 1,000-yard rusher Chip Trayanum, and star wideout Junior Vandeross all to graduation. Additionally, a big group of players that looked to be next up followed former head coach Jason Candle to UConn, which complicates things even more.
This puts Toledo in a weird spot, as they'll be throwing in third-strings from last season and unknown transfers into starting positions this year. Fret not, though, as there are still some names to keep an eye out for. The QB spot looks to be in the hands of senior John Alan Richter, who has had some success in the past, as he appeared in five games in 2024 with 497 passing yards and a 4:0 TD:INT. He'll be passing to unproven senior Terrell Crosby and transfers Rico Bond (Lindenwood) and Anthony Simpson (Michigan) as well as Akron transfer tight end Jake Newell. A rushing dark horse for the team is Corey Smith, who transferred after two seasons at Penn State. I actually played against this guy in high school, and trust me, he is very hard to tackle.
Western Michigan Broncos Spring Preview
Running it back in the backfield
The Broncos were a very interesting team this past season, as they won the MAC without a consistent passing game.
They instead did it with a dual-threat rushing attack of quarterback Broc Lowry (963 rushing yards, 14 TDs) and running back Jalen Buckley (1,003 rushing yards, 9 TDs). WMU will look to snag back-to-back titles, and it isn't out of the realm of possibilities as Lowry and Buckley are both returning for their redshirt junior and senior seasons, respectively.
In terms of the slim passing attack, tight end Brennan Wooten will fill the shoes of now graduated Blake Bosma, who was a top target in his tenure with WMU. The pair of Lowry and Buckley, though, will be the safest bets fantasy-wise, as the Broncos will most definitely live by the phrase - "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
