Akron Zips 2026 College Football Preview
Posted June 12, 2026
2025 Recap
Record – 5-7
ATS – 6-6
The Zips dug themselves a deep hole with a 2–6 start, but they kept swinging in the final fraction of the season and won three of their last four, with the only stumble coming in OT vs hated rival Kent St. That meant home for the holidays again, but for the first time in a long time you can feel this program PERCOLATING and BUBBLING to the surface.
Can they finally break through and reach a bowl game in 2026?
Akron Zips 2026 Outlook
OFFENSE
2025 By The Numbers:
- Scoring: 22.3 PPG (#8 MAC)
- Total Offense: 353.5 YPG (#5 MAC)
- Rushing: 134.5 YPG (#9 MAC)
- Passing: 219.0 YPG (#4 MAC)
- Sacks Allowed: 35 (#12 MAC)
The battle for the starting QB gig is up in the air as we approach press time, with a pair of doods looking to replace departed veteran Ben Finley (51%, 19–9 TD‑to‑INT). The leader in the clubhouse is transfer Reese Poffenbarger, who had a CUP of COFFEE with North Texas and YOUR Miami Hurricanes over the last two years, but last season’s backup Brayden Roggow is still very much in the mix.
The best news on offense is the return of 1,000‑yard RB Jordan Gant, the unquestioned key to the attack. Gant has good size and has proven he can handle the RB1 workload, and the Zips have built real depth behind him, so the RB room looks healthy. The THROW GAME should offer the new QB enough options, with two of last year’s top three WRs returning — including Marcel Williams (641 yards, 2 TD). And don’t sleep on TE Conner Cravaack (6‑4, 245), who has the potential to be a more productive specimen after posting 147 yards and 2 TD last year. The offensive line returns three senior starters and should provide decent stability, though it’s not a major strength.
DEFENSE
2025 By The Numbers:
- Scoring Defense: 27.4 PPG (#9 MAC)
- Total Defense: 384.4 YPG (#9 MAC)
- Rush Defense: 155.3 YPG (#7 MAC)
- Pass Defense: 229.2 YPG (#12 MAC)
- Sacks: 26 (#6 MAC)
The defense has shown real improvement in recent years, holding opponents under 30 PPG in two of the last three seasons after allowing nearly 38 PPG in the three years prior. However, that progress could take a step back in 2026. The Zips lost their top eight (!) tacklers from last season, so there’s legitimate work to do across the board. Up front, the defensive line still has some juice. Interior lineman Ronald Hull returns, and DE Cyrus Durham was a productive piece last year (8.5 TFL, 9 QBH). Akron also brought in some promising transfers along the line, so the front should at least be respectable.
The linebacker room is the biggest concern. It’s essentially a total rebuild with very little proven FBS experience returning. One of the projected starters is even coming from Western University in London, Ontario — not too far from MEGALOCKS HQ. Depth and proven production in the middle of the defense will be major questions.The secondary should be the most stable part of the unit. Senior safety Mekhi Flowers brings experience, and West Virginia transfer Dewayne Galloway should step in immediately at corner and help solidify the back end.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Special teams remain a major question mark. Akron brought back most of last year’s unit, which finished a brutal #130 in the Phil Steele rankings. The one bright spot is placekicker Matthew Schramm, who converted 12-of-13 field goals in 2025 and gives the Zips at least one reliable weapon on this side of the ball.
Schedule Analysis
Overall — There aren’t any guaranteed massacres in the non‑conference slate, but it still won’t be a picnic dealing with Wake Forest (A), Minnesota (A), or UNLV (H). The MAC schedule is daunting, as they face all of the conference BIG ’UNS, but it’s worth noting that their final two games are winnable — at UMass and vs Buffalo — should they need a late push to earn a bowl bid.
Potential ATS Trouble Spot – at Minnesota (Sept 19)
The INTREPID Phil Steele reminds us that Akron is 7–14 ATS in their last 21 games as 20+ point road underdogs, and it’s worth noting they’ve got their biggest brand‑name opponent at home the following week (UNLV) since hosting Iowa St back in 2017 (L 41–14).
Season Win Total
Market consensus – June 12
Over 4.5 -125
Under 4.5 -105
MEGALOCKS says:
No leanage.
That looks about right, although they’ll almost certainly need to pull at least one notable upset to get over the hump. The path is there, but it’s not paved with freebies.
Note – Our official list of season win total investments will be posted in the blog section of the website.
MEGAmazing Tidbits
Back in 1925, freshman Margaret Hamlin won a campus‑wide contest (and a crisp $10) by suggesting “Zippers,” named after a popular B.F. Goodrich overshoe. The name got shortened to “Zips” in 1950, and two years later the student council unleashed the kangaroo mascot. Zippy, complete with a zippered pouch making her officially female, debuted in 1953 and remains one of the only female mascots in college sports. That’s a MARSUPIAL MAGIC MISSILE, bay‑bee.
Akron’s only bowl win came in the 2017 Idaho Potato Bowl, when they got the better of Utah St. BONUS POINTS for any alert reader who remembers from the Kent St preview that their only bowl victory also came against — wait for it — Utah St. The Aggies out here doing solid community service for the MAC.
MEGALOCKS Forecast:
As Vito Corleone famously said, “Great men are not born great, they grow great.” And whilst Akron hasn’t exactly morphed into a college‑football crime syndicate, the Zips have been stacking progress — 2, then 2, then 4, then 5 wins — a slow, steady climb that says this program is finally learning how to grow.
The offense looks pretty good, especially if the QB situation stabilizes, but there are real concerns about the middle of the defense and the overall ability of the Zips to generate PENETRATION. We’d love to see them get back to a bowl game, but our best guess says they’ll fall just a wee bit short.
Zzzip! Zip go the Zippers!